Destiny : Pioneer of the Light
by DestinyHead123
Summary: Heroes can die. You knew that before accepting this role. But Legends live on forever. So what are you Guardian? Someone that only fights? Or-do-you-succeed? Do you have what it takes to make your mark on history, to make people generations from now remember your actions? Are you prepared to make the sacrifices, to handle the burden? Do you have the heart?
1. Return of a Guardian

**Chapter 1**

* * *

Why was it so hot here?! He had gone to Mercury before and it wasn't this stinkin' hot, and Mercury is right next to the sun!

He had been free falling for...well for a while now. Wisps of green and yellow raced past him as he descended further into a thick fog, his robes flapping wildly around him. Glancing around at his surrounding once again, he still couldn't see any farther than he could reach. He could barely make out the palm of his hand. This fog was so dense, and the radar within his helmet had shut down from the intense heat.

Flying blind. The only thing he could trust at this point was his eyes, his instincts, and the weapon on his back.

Taking in another shaky breath, he could hear his heart thumping in his chest. Was he truly ready for this? He had his fair share of accomplishments, and yet, the task at hand was far greater than anything he had faced before. He knew that the odds were stacked against him. Everyone had told him that, but backing down meant certain doom. That wasn't an option.

Clutching the grip to the scout rifle that was strapped to his back, he exhaled audibly, trying to calm himself. Being anxious wouldn't do him any good. It was too late to turn back. His task was to fight. And fight he would. To his last breath if he had to.

The fog seemed to clear as a light began to pierce through it, growing brighter and brighter until it was beginning to blind him despite the tint from his helmet. His eyes became wide as he spotted what appeared to be a trio of burning green eyes staring at him from within the light.

 _"You dare oppose me!"_

He was falling through the air, yet he could still feel a quake from this roar. Was he really ready to face this?

A shockwave was unleashed from the eyes, rippling through the air as it traveled toward him. It didn't matter if he was ready or not. He was already at this monster's throne. Crossing his arms in front of his face as the shockwave hit him, the fierce power from it cracked his helmet, snatching all of the oxygen out of it. He could do nothing as he gasped for air, descending into the light which quickly consumed him.

* * *

"Diana, this signature from the Forgotten Shore. It's unlike anything I've ever seen before." The slightly mechanical voice of a Ghost called out to the female Guardian. Together they glanced down at the coastline from their ship which was quickly zooming over the old Russian Cosmodrome.

"Hold the ship here and send me down." She replied as she removed the belts that held her down to the seat within the cockpit.

"Sending you down." It replied. Sparkles began to gather around the Guardian known as Diana before she vanished within a flash of light.

Diana felt her boots hit the ground softly as she was now standing near the rocky beach of the Forgotten Shore. Taking a moment to straighten up as she looked around, her helmet began to measure the energy readings in this area, searching for the anomaly her Ghost had picked up on.

Diana Amano. She was a proud Warlock, allied with the Vanguard, Guardian of the Traveler, protector of the Last City. The titles she had received had no end. She was simply doing the job that she had been raised to do. Fight the Darkness.

"Do you see anything Diana?" Her Ghost asked over through the communication line.

"Not here. Can you pinpoint the location for me?" She asked in return.

"Give me a moment."

Diana watched quietly as her helmet began to sort through the information it had been gathering before locking onto the signature that had come to investigate. It was a fair distance from her current position, more than enough reason for her to ride her Sparrow.

"I'll need my Sparrow for this." She stated, and almost immediately the fast moving craft materialized in front of her. Diana hopped on and revved the engine a bit, then she rolled the handlebars forward which acted as the throttle. The Sparrow roared before it lunged forward, taking her to her destination.

"Are you prepared for this Diana?" Her Ghost asked her curiously.

"Why do you ask? It's probably some increased Fallen activity at the most. I doubt it's something we haven't seen before." She replied confidently.

"Well according to my sensors, there are no enemies in this area at all." Her Ghost pointed out, surprising her.

"None? So then what are we talking about here?" Diana asked. "Should I contact the Vanguard and call for backup?"

"No no, that's unnecessary. The anomaly I picked up, its the Light. I think its a Guardian, but his or her power is incredible. It's almost as if all the enemies here left just because of their presence." Her Ghost explained, leaving her a bit shocked.

As far as Diana had ever seen, the soldiers of the Darkness knew no fear. The Fallen had attempted to tear down the walls of the Last City to get to the Traveler. Crota and his armies slayed thousands of Guardians on the Moon. For creatures such as these to be chased away by the mere presence of _one_ Guardian. Diana had to meet this person.

"So this isn't a new Guardian?" Diana inquired.

"Not in the slightest. The Light of a new Guardian is faint. A well trained and seasoned Guardian has a defined presence. But this one...is just overwhelming." Her Ghost described for her, and this only placed a smirk on Diana's face as her curiosity increased. What were the odds of her going out on a routine patrol and stumbling onto a Guardian of this caliber. "This just makes me wonder what they were doing way out here. You're closing in on their location."

Turning her Sparrow to the side, she came to a halt so that she could briefly check the area. There was no sand separating the rocks from the water as each wave rolled in. Scanning the water briefly, Diana spotted what they had been looking for. She could see a red robe floating on the surface of the water which she could only assume was the Guardian that they were looking for.

"I see them." Diana stated as she pushed forward on her Sparrow, skipping out onto the surface of the water.

"Diana, you know I can just warp him up to the ship right?" Her Ghost asked her.

"I know, but I can do this myself." Diana replied as she leaned over on her Sparrow, reaching out to take a hold of the cloak as she approached. Getting a hand on the robe, Diana grabbed on, but the body weighed far more than she had planned on. She was ripped from her Sparrow which was sent tumbling across the water while she crashed into the sea with a shriek.

Within her ship which had been trailing behind her, Diana's Ghost sighed inwardly.

"Are you sure you don't want me to pick you up." It offered once again.

"I'm fine." Diana retorted as she resurfaced, pulling up the unconscious Guardian with her. "Although, if you could bring my Sparrow back that would be nice."

After a few moments, her Sparrow materialized right beside her, silently hovering just above the water. Climbing up onto her Sparrow, Diana then hoisted the Guardian out of the water and laid them over the back of the craft. With that, she hit the throttle and raced back to the shore to further inspect the Guardian. Arriving at the shore, Diana jumped off her Sparrow and then gingerly scooped the Guardian off and placed them on the ground.

Diana raised her eyebrows as she finally got a decent look at the body she had just hauled out of the sea. It was clearly a man, well built and tall. His clothes were ripped, torn and burned at the edges, like he had just escaped from a battle. But most notably, his helmet was split open down right down the middle. Diana leaned over his head curiously, trying to peek inside the helmet to get a look at his face but it wasn't enough room for her to make out his appearance.

"His vitals check out fine. He's just unconscious right now." Her Ghost stated.

"Have you found his Ghost?" Diana asked her Ghost.

"No. There's no Ghost in the area right now aside from myself." Ghost replied as it completed its scan of the mystery Guardian. "That's…interesting."

"What is?"

"The scout rifle on his back, it's a Proxima Centauri II. A weapon like that was deemed obsolete a long time ago." Ghost explained. "Why would he be using something like this?"

"Maybe he likes it. It's not like Banshee can't give our weapons a tune up." Diana replied.

"That's just the thing. The type of power cell it has is from about two decades ago, but it's brand new. Almost as if it had been given to him recently." Ghost went on. "Don't you find that odd?"

"It's…interesting." Diana replied as she pursed her lips. "But right now, our top priority is getting him back to the Tower. You can bring us up now."

* * *

Flying back to the Tower, Diana anxiously thought about what this mystery Guardian could be like. The split in his helmet wasn't big enough for her to see his face, but she could tell by his body type that he wasn't an Exo. He was tall, but not as tall as those humanoid machines. He was either human or Awoken.

But what was he like? Could he have been a Guardian that had been driven mad studying the Darkness? Was he a savage on the battlefield? Or someone who had a hard time pulling the trigger…?

Hopefully once they arrived at the Tower someone would be able to help them out.

"Have his vitals changed at all?" Diana asked her Ghost who floated beside her in the cockpit. The small device flew out of the command center of the ship and into the cabin where the unconscious Guardian was resting.

"Nope." It replied after scanning him once again.

"Well, we'll be in the Tower in just a few minutes." Diana explained as her Ghost hovered over the Guardian in the cabin, silently observing him.

"Where do you think he's from?" Her Ghost asked curiously as it glanced back at the entryway to the cockpit.

"I don't know." Diana began as her ship dipped below the cloud layer. They zoomed over the mountain tops as a large white sphere came into view.

 _This warmth…_

"Hmm, his heart rate is picking up." Ghost noted, causing Diana to look back momentarily.

 _He knew this feeling…_

"Keep an eye on him now." Diana ordered.

 _It was the Light!_

"Umm, Diana!" Her Ghost called out as it backed away from the Guardian as he rose up from his seat.

"Ugh, what happened?" He grumbled has he placed a hand on his throbbing head. Looking up, his gaze immediately came to a stop on Diana's Ghost who was floating in front of him, returning his stare.

"I'm glad you're finally awake Guardian." Ghost said as it split its shell, revealing the bright blue light that surrounded its core. The Guardian didn't respond kindly at all. Gunfire sent a chill down Diana's spine as she activated the autopilot on her ship. "Whoa Guardian, I'm not the enemy!"

As Diana came out of the cockpit, she found that the Guardian was standing upright with his weapon drawn and her Ghost cowering in the corner of the cabin. Before she could get a word out his head snapped to the left to look at her, and this was followed by his weapon clicking as he took aim at her. Diana studied him closely, taking note of the hand that held his weapon. It was trembling faintly, but enough to Diana to understand that he was frightened and confused.

Where was he? Who was she? What was going on? All questions that were probably racing through his head right now as he stared at Diana, his finger wrapped around the trigger of his Proxima. Diana took a step forward, and this caused him to tighten his stance.

"Don't come any closer!" He demanded, but this didn't seem to faze Diana at all as she took another step forward. Should he shoot? He didn't hesitate to shoot at her Ghost, but this was clearly a person now. But he couldn't tell if she was friend, or foe...

 _Friend, or foe..._

The Guardian gasped in pain as an image flashed through his mind. He was staring at himself. He was in some kind of suffocating grasp that was choking him of all his strength.

Diana furrowed her brow as a purple aura began to form around him. It was faint at first, but it began to grow before it suddenly expanded into a field around him. A small but a protective dome had formed, blocking out both Diana and her Ghost from him. He had summoned a Ward of Dawn.

With a pained gasp he fell back down onto the seat he had been resting on. He had used what little strength he had to protect himself, but at great cost. But he needed answers. Taking a few deep breaths, he stared at Diana who had approached his bubble.

"Who are you? What do you want with me?!" He demanded as he looked up at her.

"Where are you Guardian?" Diana asked in return.

"I'm…" He froze as he struggled to remember. Where was he? He had no idea...

Another image flashed through his mind for just a moment. There were decaying corpses everywhere, yet there was no terrain for these bodies to be resting on. Just darkness everywhere.

"I'm behind enemy lines. The enemy is everywhere." He replied as he lifted his Proxima once again.

"I'm not an enemy. My name is Diana." She replied as she kneeled down beside his bubble, placing a hand on the back of her helmet to deactivate it. The Guardian watched as her helmet dematerialized, revealing her teal colored skin, short silver locks of hair and glowing irises.

She couldn't tell if he had relaxed a bit yet, so Diana placed a hand on his bubble, expecting to reach through it. But she quickly discovered that it was completely solid, denying her entry. He still didn't trust her.

"My name is Diana Amano." She repeated. "As you can see, I'm Awoken. I'm thirty one years old and my favorite color is burgundy. What's your name?"

"My…name?" He said in response. What was his name? He had no idea. "I don't know."

"Amnesia." Diana's Ghost stated. Like all the other fresh Guardians a Ghost finds. They don't remember much.

"Do you remember the last thing you were doing?" Diana asked. He lowered his head, trying to recall what he could. Everything was a hazy mess, but the same image he had seen before flashed through his head again. There were corpses everywhere. He was holding his Proxima as yet another wave of enemies rushed toward him.

"I was fighting." He replied.

"Fighting what?"

"I don't know."

"It'll take him some time, but it'll come back to him. For now, the best thing we can do is have him examined in the Tower." Her Ghost pointed out, receiving a nod from Diana before a thought entered her head.

"Do you know what the Traveler is?" She said, returning her gaze to the Guardian who immediately perked up.

"The Traveler?" He went silent again. That sounded familiar. Closing his eyes as he looked up in thought, the visuals soon came. "It's a big, white ball…right?"

"Yes, that is correct. In fact, you'll be seeing it just a minute or two." Diana explained.

He could see it. A large white ball looming over an enormous city. He was standing on a balcony, admiring the sphere, and there was someone else there with him. But who was it?

"The Traveler. It granted me my powers." He went on.

"And it did the same for me." Diana added, causing the Guardian to lower his weapon as he set his gaze on Diana once again. He failed to notice it before; he could feel the Light within her. But it was small in comparison to the Light they were approaching. "We're the same."

The Guardian gave a sigh as his Ward of Dawn dispersed. Diana smiled softly now that she had gained a bit of his trust.

"We're close to the Traveler, aren't we?" He asked, receiving a nod from Diana.

"How did you know?" She asked return.

"I can feel its Light." Was all he said, causing Diana to glance at her Ghost. "I can feel the Light in you, and that…ball."

"I'm a Ghost." Diana's Ghost corrected him immediately as it hovered around the Guardian. "Don't you have one?"

"I don't…think so." He said slowly. He couldn't recall ever having something like Diana's Ghost with him...not that he could recall much at all.

"Well we'll have you meet the Speaker. I'm sure he can help you out." Diana pointed out as she looked back at the cockpit. "I bet we're close to the Tower now. Come here, you can see the Traveler."

Heading into the cockpit, Diana had to wait a moment as the Guardian tentatively followed her in. He was checking out everything he could about her ship before he joined her. Once he was in the command center of Diana's ship, she motioned for him to look out at their destination.

The Last City on Earth, a huge metropolis that stretched for miles with a large wall surrounding the perimeter. It had been built right underneath what appeared to be a hovering white sphere. It hovered above the city silently, ominously. The Traveler.

The Guardian became completely silent as he saw the Traveler for the first time in was felt like ages. The Light from the Traveler was overwhelmingly bright, and it felt so warm and comforting. Why would he ever leave this warmth in the first place?

"Whoa." Diana said softly as she took a step back from the Guardian. An almost azure colored fire had ignited around his head, flickering and dancing. What was this? She had never seen anything like this. Perhaps a meeting with the Speaker was now their top priority.

 **Tower**

 **Hangar**

The constant movement within the hanger of the Tower was a bit overwhelming for the no name Guardian as he stepped off of Diana's ship to the platform it had landed on.

"Come quick!" Diana called out to him. She was already a good distance from him, standing on the outside of the outline of the platform. She then pointed to the next platform where a vacant ship was resting. The platform descended down into the floor, taking the ship with it before a new, empty spot filled its place.

Raising brow at this, he quickly dashed to the edge, joining Diana to ensure that he didn't disappear with the air crafts.

"So what would happen if I was taken away with one of the ships?" He asked once they were off the platform, watching as Diana's ship was taken away as well, making room for the next arrival.

"Well it's kind of like a parking lot down there. It wouldn't be too much trouble to get you back, but it's something the staff prefers to avoid." Diana explained as she led him up the stairway to the level above the landing area.

This level was filled with Guardians that had either just returned to the Tower, or were waiting for their ship to be called out for their departure. Looking around, the Guardian noticed that none of them were currently wearing their helmet like he was.

"Am I supposed to take my helmet off?" He asked Diana who looked up in thought.

"Well there's no rule saying you have to. It's up to you basically." Diana replied. This gained a sigh of relief from him as he placed both of his hands on his helmet, attempting to yank it off his head. Diana chuckled at his struggle to remove his helmet. "That's not how you take off your helmet."

"Hmm?" He looked down at Diana curiously as she circled around him, examining his helmet for the switch to shut it down. Upon finding the small sensor to deactivate his helmet, Diana placed her hand on it, but his helmet just gave a low hum in response.

"You're helmet must've really taken a beating in your last fight. I think it has gone offline for good." Diana explained. "We might have to go to Cayde and have him split it open for you."

"Cayde?" He repeated.

"One of the Vanguard." Diana's Ghost replied.

"You'll meet the Vanguard soon. But first I want to take you to the Speaker." Diana added as they pressed forward once again. Diana led him through the crowd of Guardians that eyed him curiously until they arrived at the exit to the hanger. It was a long corridor with a soft but constant breeze traveling through it. "We're heading into the plaza next."

Reaching the end of the corridor, they stepped out into large and open area. Flags were shuffling in the wind. Tree leaves fluttered in the breeze, and Ghosts flew about completing small tasks for their Guardians.

"Wow." He said softly as he looked around. The plaza was massive and filled with Guardians that were chatting freely, resting on benches or in the shade provided by the trees.

"This is where the Guardians live. We rest, regroup and rearm ourselves here." Ghost explained to him as he admired the structure. It was wonderful here. And he had a clear view of the Traveler.

Walking over to the railing nearby, he looked out and incredible view, trying to compare it to the small memory he had of the Traveler.

'No, this doesn't match. I'm too high up.' He said to himself. He was beneath the Traveler in his memory. Was he down in the City?

"Come on, let's keep moving." Diana called out to him. She was already on the move, heading straight across to the plaza to the exit on the opposite side. Jogging to catch up, they continued into another corridor that led them to a lower level within the Tower. This was also an open area with Guardians relaxing, but there was a walkway leading into an area that was sectioned off.

"Whoa, what's that?" He asked, pointing up at the structure with a green sphere floating at the center with a pair of interlocking circles spinning around it endlessly.

"Umm, I actually don't know." Diana said sheepishly. "But we're here to talk to him."

Diana motioned to the small platform above where they could see someone in a white cloak observing the Traveler quietly.

"That's the Speaker." Her Ghost stated as they ascended the staircase. The Speaker was a tall man, but all his features were hidden beneath a heavy white cloak and a helmet with a black hood covering it. He turned to them slowly as they stepped onto his platform, but froze as he saw the Guardian that was accompanying Diana.

Azure flames surrounding his head. It couldn't be…

"T-Tobias?" The Speaker exclaimed, breaking his usual composure for all but a moment.

"Is that his name?" Diana asked as the Speaker approached them, staring intently at the Guardian.

"Indeed." The Speaker responded.

"That's my name?" Tobias asked, receiving a nod from the Speaker. "How do you know my name?"

"We were acquaintances at one point."

"So do you know what he was like?" Diana jumped in.

"Unfortunately I do not. I never got to know him personally. I knew that he was a great hero, and of his many great talents on the battlefield, but not much besides that." The Speaker explained. "Tobias, how much do you remember?"

"Tobias…oh right, that's me." He mumbled as he shook his head. "Not much. I just remember a lot of fighting."

"That's what I thought. That's all you seemed to do at one point." The Speaker said softly.

"Why was that?"

"The group you worked for, they didn't work with the Vanguard. They had their own agenda, and you were the centerpiece to their operation." The Speaker explained.

"Can I meet them?"

"No, they fell apart after your disappearance."

"Disappearance?" Tobias repeated as a he wrinkled his forehead. He couldn't recall anything like that. "What happened?"

"I don't know. I received word that you had gone out on a special task and we never heard from you again. We could only assume the worst."

"Wait, so when was the last time you saw him?" Diana asked.

"It's been almost a century." The Speaker replied, surprising both Diana and Tobias.

"Wait, he's been gone for almost a hundred years?" Diana exclaimed as she glanced at Tobias. But upon looking at the Guardian beside her, she realized that she still hadn't seen his face yet. It was possible that he was much older he seemed to be.

"That is correct. But it appears as though something happened to you during that time that wiped out your memory." The Speaker noted as Tobias looked up in thought once again. "Hopefully you'll begin to remember your past soon."

"So what should we do with him after I take him to Cayde?" Diana asked.

"Perhaps you should take him to Lord Shaxx. Tobias may be a little rusty after all these years, and a little field activity in the Crucible might do him some good." The Speaker suggested.

"Yeah, that might be best." Diana agreed as she glanced at Tobias who was still deep in thought.

Almost a century ago he had been fighting. Fighting who? Fighting for what?

Yet another image of himself surrounded in darkness flashed through his mind. Even though it was pitch black, he could tell that he was standing in water that was as high as his ankles. A pair of arms sprouted from the water, pushing down on the surface to rise from the water. The head of the body was first to surface, revealing a trio of glowing green eyes. It screeched at him, but he only raised his Proxima and pulled the trigger, removing the threat without even an ounce of hesitation.

"Tobias?" Diana said once again, snapping the Guardian out of his thoughts.

"Wha-What?" He asked as he looked down at her.

"Are you alright?" She asked him.

"Well, there's something bothering me now." He began, surprising Diana, her Ghost and the Speaker.

"Like what?" The Speaker asked.

"Almost everything I've remembered involved me fighting something. What am I fighting?" Tobias asked. The Speaker remained silent for a moment as he thought about a response. He then motioned for the pair of Guardians to follow him down the stairway and out to a balcony where they had an impressive view of the Traveler.

"The enemy of both of the Traveler, and the Light that it casts on mankind…is the Darkness and all its forces." The Speaker stated. "The Darkness seeks to snuff out the Light of the Traveler, and it will go to any means necessary. It almost succeeded at one point, but the Traveler granted us its power. It gave us the Light, to fight against the Darkness. So that we could protect the Traveler, as well as ourselves."

"The Traveler can't defend itself?"

"Not anymore. It gave what was left of its strength to the Ghosts to seek out warriors capable of using the Light to fend off the Darkness." The Speaker said as he motioned to Diana's Ghost. "Those Guardians fight alongside one another every day under the direction of myself and the Vanguard, protecting us from the Darkness."

"And, I'm a Guardian?" Tobias asked as he pointed toward himself.

"Yup." Diana chimed in. "Just like me."

"So that's why I was fighting. To protect the Traveler?" Tobias questioned earnestly, waiting for a reply from the Speaker.

"Yes." The man in white stated. Tobias exhaled. So he was like the rest of them. Like everyone else had seen in the Tower. Fighting to protect the Traveler.

"It's a lot to think about right now." The Speaker said, receiving a nod of agreement from Tobias. "You can visit Lord Shaxx tomorrow, for now you should rest and have your helmet removed. Will you take him to Cayde Diana?"

"Of course." She replied as she motioned for Tobias to follow her.

"Rest easy tonight Tobias. You'll need your strength for tomorrow." The Speaker called out at the distance between them grew.

As Diana led Tobias out the small area that belonged to the Speaker, the man in white robes could only stare the Guardian that was accompanied by Diana. He couldn't believe that Tobias had returned. And with no memory of what transpired during his last mission. This was certainly an interesting development.

* * *

"This is the Hall of Guardians." Diana said as they reached the bottom of the stairs, revealing a large and long corridor that had a number of Guardians speaking to one another. "The Vanguard Mentors reside down here."

"The Speaker said something about the Vanguard. Who are they?" Tobias asked as began walking down the center of the corridor.

"Guardians work for various parties. Some represent factions from the City that are led by Humans who want to help in our efforts to fight the Darkness. But the Vanguard is composed entirely of Guardians. They seek to make sure that all Guardians are prepared for battle, so they train, instruct and provide gear and weapons, that sort of stuff, for all Guardians in the Tower regardless of their affiliation." Diana explained.

"Hmm, that seems nice." Tobias commented.

"Just wait until you meet them." Diana said as they finally arrived at the end of the corridor which led into a large room. Within this room, there was a long table with three Guardians standing around it, absorbed in their own individual work. But the presence of Tobias immediately drew the attention of the only Warlock in the group.

She was an attractive dark skinned woman that studied Tobias with her piercing eyes. He gulped audibly as she approached them.

"And who might you be Warlock?" She asked sternly, folding her arms in front of her chest.

"Me?" Tobias asked as he looked toward Diana. She gave him a nod in return. "I'm...Tobias."

The name still felt foreign, but it was better than no name at all.

"Tobias." She repeated, looking up in thought. Why did that sound familiar? "I'm Ikora, the Warlock Vanguard."

"Oh, um, nice to meet you." Tobias replied.

"Just out of question Ikora, what makes you think he's a Warlock?" Diana asked curiously, causing Ikora to size up Tobias a second time.

"The armor he's wearing. It's outdated, but its a Warlock set." She explained.

"Hmm, I couldn't figure out what he was wearing." Diana noted. "But that's beside the point, he's no Warlock."

Ikora furrowed her brow at this while the remaining two Mentors began to listen in on the conversation now.

"He cast a Ward of Dawn on my ship while we were flying here."

"A Titan." The largest of the three mentors stated as he set the data pad he had been reading down on the table. He was a large and imposing figure, clad in heavy and bulky armor that made him seem like a giant in comparison to the other two Vanguard mentors that were present. "You may address me as Commander Zavala."

"Wait a moment, why would you be wearing Warlock gear if your a Titan?" Ikora interjected before Zavala could continue with his introduction.

"I'm just as lost as you are." Tobias said as he shrugged his shoulders. Ikroa then looked toward Diana who shook her head.

"It's what he was wearing when I found him." Diana said.

"Well this is interesting." She mumbled before stepping aside for Zavala to continue.

"Seeing as your a Titan, you will likely spend most of your time under my command." Zavala began. "As a Titan, or first priority is to fortify the City to ensure that everyone within our walls are safe."

"Excuse me Commander." Diana cut in sheepishly with a raised hand. "Actually we're here to see Cayde right now, but Tobias will be free to talk with you after."

The remaining mentor looked up at the group curiously at the mention of his name.

"Why would a Titan with identity issues to me all people?" Cayde asked her.

"His helmet is offline, and we need you to split it open for us." Diana replied.

"Easy enough. Take a seat Guardian." Cayde said as he motioned to the nearest seat. Tobias soon found himself seated with Cayde twirling the handle of a large knife in front of him, whistling softly. "Don't be scared, I've done this a hundred times."

Cayde raised his knife and spun the handle in his hand so that the blade was pointing at Tobias' helmet and jammed the knife into it. Tobias' eyes became crossed as he stared at the tip of the glowing blade which had stopped just short of his forehead. He watched nervously as the blade began to travel down his helmet, slicing through it with ease. Once Cayde had cut through a decent portion of his helmet, the Hunter stepped aside for Zavala to do the rest.

Zavala wedged his fingers in between the cracks, before taking in a deep breath. With a grunt, he then ripped the helmet in two, revealing the man that had been hiding within the helmet. Tobias was a dark skinned man, with defined facial features but lacked hair on his head. The only thing that really stood out about him was the dark, symmetrical markings on each side of his face. It started at his eyes and traveled down his cheeks to his neck and disappeared beneath the collar of his robe.

"He's Human." Cayde stated.

"Is that a bad thing?" Tobias asked as he raised a hand to scratch the bridge of his nose.

"I hate to bring race into the equation, but its well known that Exo Guardians are more efficient than-" Cayde began before Zavala stepped in front of him.

"You can ignore him." Zavala cut in, gaining Tobias's gaze. Looking directly into his eyes for the first time, Zavala could see how weary they were. Wherever he had been before Diana found him, he must have still been worn out from it.

"Regardless of who you are, you're a Guardian, and we're pleased have you join our ranks." Ikora went on.

"I'll continue your briefing the next time we meet. But, seeing as I'm responsible for destroying some of your gear, take this." Zavala said as he presented his Ghost to Tobias. "My Ghost will transfer a message to your Ghost. Take it to the armory and they will provide you with a set of armor."

"He doesn't have a Ghost." Diana said, receiving a baffled look from Zavala in response.

"No Ghost?" Cayde exclaimed. "How do you function without one?"

"…I don't know." Tobias said as he shrugged his shoulders, unaware of the glances the mentors were giving one another.

"Alright then…Ghost, take him to the armory and show them this message." Zavala said.

"Yes sir." His Ghost replied with a nod.

"You can go collect the armor right now. My Ghost will guide you." Zavala said as he motioned to the exit.

"Oh, okay. Um, thanks for the help." Tobias said as he gave the group a wave before Zavala's Ghost led him back out into the corridor.

"Diana." Ikora said, calling for her before she could leave.

"What's the matter?" She asked, turning to face the Warlock Vanguard while Zavala and Cayde returned to their work.

"Where did you find him?" Ikora asked plainly.

"In the Forgotten Shore." Diana replied as she glanced at each of them. It wasn't often that all three of them took such an interest in any one specific Guardian. "Is something wrong?"

"His Light…it's so powerful." Ikora noted.

"What do you mean?"

"You've been around him for a while so you may have adjusted to it already, but there's a weight around him. The power he exerting is putting pressure on everything around him. That's how powerful his Light is." Ikora explained, surprising Diana. "I'm not certain who he is, but I'm sure there's something about him that we need to know. Have you seen him on the field at all?"

"He didn't hesitate to shoot up my ship." Diana noted, earning a narrow glance from Ikora. Obviously that wasn't what she was looking for. "No I haven't, but the Speaker arranged for him to enter the Crucible tomorrow."

"Okay. I'll use this opportunity to watch him closely, and I suggest you do the same." Ikora stated, receiving a nod from Diana.

 **Barracks**

Deeper within the Tower was an area filled with small rooms for Guardians to rest in if they had been stationed at the Tower.

"This is the room you've been assigned too." Diana said as slid the card key through the electronic lock on the door frame, causing the door to slide open. It was indeed a small room, providing nothing more than a bed and small area for them to hang to their armor or clothing. "You're pretty lucky that one of the window rooms was available."

The entire far wall of the room was a thick sheet of glass that allowed him to look out at the grand City below.

"The City looks amazing at night." Diana commented as they entered, allowing Tobias to set down his new gear beside his bed.

"You got that right." Tobias replied. "Where's the bathroom?"

"Just down the hall. There are showers in there to if you need to clean up."

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it. I'll leave my Ghost with you tonight. If you're confused about anything, you can just talk to it." Diana explained as she motioned for her Ghost to remain with Tobias. "Sleep well, I'll see you in the morning."

"Alright." Tobias said as he gave her a small wave. The door shut, leaving Tobias with Diana's Ghost.

Silence ensued for a while as Tobias took a seat on his bed. Looking out at the City once again, Tobias spent a moment admiring the Traveler. But as he looked at the City that was beneath the enormous sphere, he realized that he didn't recognize anything. And yet, he had nothing to compare it to. What should he do?

"Maybe I'll take a shower." Tobias muttered to himself as he rose up from his bed. He had nothing better to do right now.

Exiting the room, he traveled down the hall to the bathroom which he entered quietly. It was empty and huge. Further down in the back, he could see several small rooms that were probably the showers. To his right there was a wall of mirrors above a number of sinks.

Approaching the closest mirror, Tobias stared at himself intently. He leaned forward, tilted his head back, to the sides, taking in everything he could. This is what he looked like. Stroking his chin a few times, he could only wonder, who was he?

Who was Tobias?

* * *

A/N

Welp, there's the first chapter. Thanks for reading, or even clicking on this!

I stinkin' love Destiny! I haven't been this invested in a game since Pokemon, and Pokemon was my whole childhood. It's crazy how much time I spend playing this game, and as much as I try to stop, I still end up playing it.

Anyway, I've been developing this story for quite a bit of time now. After the House of Wolves expansion came out for Destiny I started working on this, so its been under development for a while. I'm glad I've finally reached the point where I want to start sharing it with others, so please give me some feedback, I'd really appreciate it. This is going to be MASSIVE to say the least so be prepared.


	2. Birth of a Legend

**Chapter 2**

* * *

"Guardian? Guardian? Eyes up Guardian." Diana's Ghost stated to Tobias as he rose up from his bunk with an audible groan. The sun came blaring through the class window of his room, blinding him to start of his day.

"Mmm, wha-where am I?" Tobias mumbled as he placed a hand over his eyes, trying to block out the rays of sunshine.

"You're in the Tower, within the Last City on Earth." Ghost replied, watching as Tobias then turned to look out the window, seeing the metropolis down below. Then everything came back to him.

He had been taken to the Tower by Diana Amano. He was Guardian. And today he was going to take part in something called the Crucible.

"Diana will be arriving shortly." Ghost explained to him.

Diana was the Warlock he had met yesterday after waking up on her ship. He didn't really know what to think of her at this point. But, then again he didn't know what to think of anyone for that matter. He didn't know anyone, who was supposed to trust? Glancing out the window once again, Tobias took another look at the Traveler that floated above the city. The only thing that felt right to him at the moment was being near the Traveler. If these people were indeed trying to protect it, then hopefully he could trust them.

"Guardian?" Ghost asked, snapping Tobias out of his thoughts. "I suggest you equip your armor."

"Armor?" Tobias said before spotting the gear that he had received the day before from the armory. Rising to his feet, Tobias took a moment to stretch, loosening himself up a bit. Then he went over to the armor pieces that had been waiting for him. "What would I need all this armor for?"

"Protection." Ghost replied as Tobias picked up the helmet, taking a moment to examine the visor before he lifted it to see inside. "Allow me."

Tobias looked around as he suddenly felt colder. Then he looked down and realized that the clothing he had been wearing had vanished.

"What the-" Before Tobias could finish his sentence, a lightly armored suit materialized on his body, followed by each of the armor pieces that were fit snugly into their places, weighing him down.

"Whoa, this stuff is heavy." He commented as he straightened up, trying to adjust to the weight. Heavy shoulder pads, a huge chest piece, knee pads, shin guards, boots. Almost every part of him was concealed by the thick and protective plating.

"I've heard that if you were to drop a piece of this armor on a stone, it would crush it." Ghost pointed out, causing Tobias to raise his eyebrows.

"Well I better watch out for my toes then." He said with a small chuckle.

"Are you going to collect your weapon Guardian?" Ghost asked, causing Tobias to frown a bit.

"Umm, can you call me by my name?" Tobias asked in return.

"Certainly. Tobias, will you be taking your weapon with you, or do you want me to hold it in storage."

"No no, I'll hold it myself." Tobias replied as he looked up at the Proxima Centuri II that he had mounted on the wall the night before. The Gunsmith had insisted that he at least take a more updated weapon yesterday, but Tobias turned down the offer. He didn't know how to describe it, but he felt connected to this weapon. He didn't want to throw it away so quickly.

Removing the weapon from the wall, Tobias slid it down into the holster on his waist, completing his preparation for the day. And right on cue, there was a knock on the door.

"That must be Diana." Ghost said as it flew over to the door. Accessing the control panel, it opened up the door almost immediately, revealing the Warlock who was waiting for them.

"Good morning." She said kindly, entering Tobias' room.

"Mornin'." He replied quietly as he studied her for a few moments. The day before she had been dressed the typical long robes that Warlocks were recognized for, but today she was dressed far more casually, wearing a jacket, blouse and jeans.

"What's the matter?" She asked after noticing that he been staring at her for a little while now.

"I didn't think that Guardians had…days off." Tobias pointed out. With everything the Speaker had told them yesterday, he thought that their battle was a constant. Always ongoing.

"Well that's a funny way to put it." Diana said with a small laugh. "I'm not on active duty today, but I did receive an assignment. Ikora, the woman you met yesterday. She suggested that I be your guide for a few days to help you get a sense of how things work around here. Part of being a Guardian is instructing newer ones to ensure that they find success on the battlefield."

Tobias gave a nod of agreement. That made sense.

"Right, because patrolling the Cosmodrome is such a difficult task." Ghost trailed off.

"That's easy for you to say, you spend all your time watching me fight." Diana shot back at her Ghost who remained silent after that. Diana returned her gaze to Tobias. "So are you ready for this?"

"For the, Crucible?" Tobias asked in return as they exited his room.

"Yup."

"…I think so."

"Well if you're a little nervous there's still time. We still have to meet Lord Shaxx and enter you into the system to see what team you'll be fighting alongside." Diana explained.

"Will you be entering Diana?" Her Ghost inquired.

"Nah, I don't think so. This will give me a chance to see Tobias' strengths and weaknesses." Diana replied as they arrived at an elevator which opened up immediately.

"How are you going to see that, I mean, I don't really understand what the Crucible is still." Tobias said as they stepped inside. The doors shut behind them and the elevator began to rise quickly, taking them to the plaza at the top of the Tower.

"Oh, well you see, the Crucible is a battleground for Guardians to test their strengths against other Guardians. It's a place for you to practice and sharpen your skills." Diana explained, receiving a nod from Tobias.

"And this Lord Shaxx guy, who's he again?"

"Lord Shaxx is the Crucible Handler. He oversees all of the matches that take place and rewards Guardians for great performances." Diana Ghost jumped in.

"So my goal is to, look good?"

"Um, that's one way to put it. It's practice more than anything else though." Diana replied.

"Right." Tobias said as the elevator stopped, opening up to the plaza that awaited them. Exiting the elevator, Diana led him back down into the Hall of Guardians that was pretty empty, although it was probably because it was still early in the morning. Diana guided him straight to yet another tall Titan whose face was concealed behind their helmet.

"Lord Shaxx, it's good to see you again." Diana said as they approached him.

"Likewise Diana. I heard that you would be meeting with me today. What can I do for you?" He asked as he turned to face them.

"My friend here, his name is Tobias." Diana began as she motioned to the man beside her. Shaxx gave him a nod which Tobias returned. "He's out of practice, so the Speaker suggested that he get a little practice before returning to field work."

Shaxx took a hard stare at Tobias, sizing him up.

"Well there's a Control match beginning in about a half an hour that has an open spot." Shaxx began, causing Tobias to shrug his shoulders. Practice couldn't hurt, so the sooner he could get into a match, the better.

"It sounds good to me." He replied.

"Hold on." Diana interrupted, receiving the attention of both of them. "The matches this early in the morning are usually filled with the veterans who would rip him apart. Can't you put him in one of them matches around noon with less experienced Guardians?"

"…It's up to him really." Shaxx said after a pause, motioning to Tobias.

"Tobias, are you sure you want to enter a match with the Crucible veterans. They can be ruthless and unforgiving." Diana pointed out.

"Are they strong?" Tobias asked curiously, glancing at Shaxx.

"Certainly. The Guardians in these matches are among the best Guardians you'll find in the City right now." Shaxx replied. Tobias raised his eyebrows a bit as his heartbeat quickened. The prospect of battling a strong opponent made him...excited.

"I want to enter this match then." Tobias stated.

"Tobias, are you sure?" Diana asked him.

"I'm positive." He replied, returning her gaze. Staring directly into his eyes, Diana could see the determination within them. His eyes had been so empty the night before, and yet suddenly they had some life in them again.

"If you say so." Diana said as she stepped back.

"Have you ever been in a Crucible match?" Shaxx asked Tobias.

"Nope."

"In a Control match, the objective is simple. Capture and defend the zones. Defeating the enemy is important, but your score is multiplied based on the number of zones you control. So keep the objective in mind." Shaxx explained.

"Okay." Tobias said with a nod.

"Seeing as the match will start soon, I'll introduce you to your fireteam leader." Shaxx said as he motioned for Tobias to follow him.

"Good luck Tobias." Diana called out as Shaxx and Tobias left them.

The corridor was quiet as Diana and her Ghost were among the few that occupied it.

"Diana, why did you allow him to enter this match." Her Ghost asked.

"Something felt different about him. I think he knows what he's up against." Diana replied.

"What makes you say that?"

"The Speaker said that all he did was fight. Putting him on the battlefield which might be the most familiar thing for him, could be the quickest way for him to start recovering his memories."

* * *

"You'll be teamed up with a small clan today so do your best to follow the instructions they give you." Shaxx explained as they came to stop in front of locked door. Their journey to the stadium within the city was shorter than Tobias had expected and rather disappointing. Rather than traveling through the city which he was dying to get a closer look at, they moved through a network of tunnels underneath the city to arrive at their destination.

Shaxx waved his hand in front of a small panel beside the frame of the door which flickered green. The door then opened up revealing a group of five Guardians, four of which were seated around the room while the fifth stood at the center.

"Lord Shaxx." The Guardian at the center of the room exclaimed upon spotting the Crucible Handler. He was a tall Hunter, and the only one that didn't have his helmet on right now. "What brings you here?"

"Arron, I found the last member of your party for this match." Shaxx explained as he stepped into the room. Tobias gulped as he followed Shaxx in, looking around at each of the Guardians who returned his gaze.

"I see." Arron replied as he approached Tobias, extending a hand toward him. "You can call me Arron."

"I'm Tobias."

"Nice to meet you." Arron replied as they shook hands. Arron was a tall fellow with light skin and a messy mop of dark hair on his head.

"He's out of practice, so I trust you'll take good care of him." Shaxx said, receiving a nod from Arron. "Good, now I must return to the balcony. Your match will begin in just a minute."

Shaxx left the room silently, leaving Tobias in the hands of the small group. Tobias glanced around at each of them once again. Three of them were doing some last minute checks on their weapons while the fourth was speaking to his Ghost quietly.

"So Tobias, you're familiar with what to do in a Control match right? Arron asked as he invited Tobias to take a seat.

"Shaxx told me I have to capture and defend the zones." Tobias responded.

"Yup, you got it." Arron replied. "Since you're rusty, you'll stay back and defend whichever zone we spawn by. Only a few people will attempt to capture it, so hopefully a few one on one encounters will help you shake off the rust."

"Got it." Tobias stated as he took a seat, taking out his Proxima Centuri. They were all checking their weapons, and a quick check of his own wouldn't hurt.

"Hmm, what model is that?" Arron exclaimed as he studied the Proxima.

"To be truthful, I don't know. I woke up with it." Tobias said.

"Hmm, can I take a look at it?"

Tobias passed his weapon to Arron who began to look at it from every angle he could think of. He switched it from one hand to another, checking the weight as well.

"It's a little heavy for my liking, but it seems alright. Although I'm pretty sure you can get a better one from the vendors in the Tower." Arron explained. "I'm pretty sure if you meet with one of the representatives from Dead Orbit in the Tower, they can fit you out with a fully automatic scout rifle."

"Maybe I'll look into it after the match." Tobias said with a shrug. He didn't feel like parting ways with this Proxima Centuri, but expanding the number of weapons he could choose from couldn't hurt either.

"The last match just finished Arron." One of the other Guardians called out.

"Alright guys, let's do this!" Arron said as he clapped his hands. "Everyone onto the lift."

Arron motioned to the circular platform near the back of the room. It was raised a few feet, so they each had to take turns helping one another get on. One of Arron's clan members, a Titan, approached him as he watched the group assemble on the platform.

"Did you find out anything about our sixth?" Arron asked quietly as the two of them eyed Tobias as he accepted a hand to pull him up onto the platform.

"I couldn't find anything." The Titan stated, causing Arron to frown just a bit.

"Nothing at all?"

"His name doesn't even come up in the database."

"Hmm, well...I guess we have to wait until the match starts to see if he's any good." Arron stated as he placed a hand on the sensor on the back of his neck to activate his helmet. "Even if he's bad, it shouldn't be too difficult to hide him on the back of the map."

The two of them joined the rest of the team on the platform where Tobias noticed that all of them were looking up at the ceiling.

"Is something wrong?" Tobias asked Arron.

"You'll find out. Just get ready to pose." Arron replied as a portion of the ceiling opened up matching the size of the platform. It was a long tunnel that led up to blinding daylight.

"Pose?" Tobias said before the platform shot upward. "Whoa!"

Unprepared for the sudden movement, Tobias found himself lying on his side as they rose up into the stadium above. As they raced toward the top, the roar of the audience that filled the stadium became louder and louder. The platform came to a stop, and Tobias was still on his side, marveling at the surrounding crowds.

He and Arron's team were now located on a stage directly at the center of the stadium. Seats filled with spectators towered high above them as they applauded the newest competitors. Looking back at Arron's team that stood behind him, they were unaffected by the lift speed. They all stood proudly, waving to the audience that numbered in the thousands.

Arron offered him a hand, helping Tobias back to his feet.

"Thanks."

A few meters away, another portion of the stage opened up, followed closely by a platform filling the open area with another team of six. This would be their opponents.

"I see that our Guardians have arrived." The voice of Lord Shaxx echoed throughout the stadium, causing Tobias to glance around in search of him. On a balcony high in the stands, Shaxx stood with his arms behind his back.

Diana was also in the stands, seated comfortably in one of the many seats that were available near the top. Crucible matches had become incredibly popular among the citizens of the Last City on Earth. The people treated it as a sport, and followed specific Guardian clans that spent a great deal of time in the Crucible, cheering them on whenever they had a match. The matches were broadcast all over the city, and recorded for the Guardians to review on their own time to revisit and revise their battle tactics.

"I still don't think he's properly equipped to take part in a Crucible match of this level." Diana commented with a sigh. Even though Tobias wasn't a brand new Guardian, he certainly didn't seem like a seasoned one either. Nothing about his presence made it seem like he had ever experienced a battle minus that brief fire in his eyes from earlier. The last thing she wanted was for him to be humiliated in a Crucible match on his second day as a Guardian.

"It was his decision, and you never know what could happen." Her Ghost replied as they looked down at Tobias who going through a few last second preparations with his team. Numerous holographic screens began to appear in the stands, providing the audience with all sorts of angles of the Guardians that were participating in the match.

"Let the match commence!" Shaxx declared as all of two fireteam leaders stepped forward, each with their Ghost out. Both Ghosts began to glow softly before casting their Light on the Guardians that belonged to their teams. There was a flash of light, blinding the audience for but a moment. The stage was empty from that point forward as the Guardians were teleported to the location of their match.

* * *

Tobias blinked before looking around. The stadium was gone, the people were gone. It was quiet again.

They were inside a building that clearly needed some maintenance. Rusty pipes were protruding from cement walls that had been broken and beaten up, as if a huge battle had taken place here.

"This is Twilight Gap in case you didn't know." Arron said to Tobias.

"Twilight…Gap?" Tobias repeated. That sounded familiar, but nothing came to mind.

"Get ready, the match is about to start." Arron said as he raised the flag pole that he held. Slamming it into the ground, the red banners materialized and hung down as Shaxx's voice resounded through communication system.

"Capture and defend Guardians!" Shaxx stated. Tobias felt his heartbeat quicken as his helmet began updating with his new objective. Three markers showed up on the screen within his helmet which he could assume was the location of the zones that they would be attempting to capture.

"Everyone to C!" Arron called out as he motioned for the team to follow him out of the room that they had been standing in. Exiting the room, Arron led them up a short staircase to another platform where an empty flagpole was waiting for them. There was a white circle surrounding it which they quickly occupied.

Upon completing the capture, a pair of blue banners appeared the pole, signifying that this zone belonged to them.

"Alright everyone, we've run this map a bunch of times so you know what to do. Avoiding moving through open lanes, call out what you see. And Tobias, focus on watching over C point for now." Arron declared as he motioned for two his teammates to join him as he began advance toward B point.

Tobias watched as the team went its separate ways, disappearing into different corridors. Tobias was by himself on C point as he checked his surroundings once again. He took a deep breath as he took a hold of his Proxima. His only duty was to protect this zone.

"We have a Warlock and a Hunter moving in on B!" The call outs started almost immediately.

"Don't worry, we got them."

"Ugh, they're just Blinking everywhere!"

"Damn it, one of them got me with a shotgun. Arron, behind you!"

Watching the feed on his helmet, Tobias could see that the small unit that had gone to B had been handily defeated by the Hunter and Warlock from the Bravo team.

"Get ready Tobias, these guys are aggressive. They're probably headed to C right now for a triple cap!" Arron called out.

"Okay." Tobias said as he tightened his grip on his Proxima. Right on cue, the radar on his helmet began to detect the presence of the opposing team. Taking aim with his rifle, Tobias peered into the room that the Bravo team was advancing from.

For just a moment, Tobias could see a head peek into the room, and he immediately pulled the trigger of his weapon, burying a bullet in the door frame as his attacker quickly returned to their hiding place. A few moment of silence passed as Tobias licked his lips, waiting for his opponent to make their move. The radar in his helmet confirmed that they were still in the next room, but they hadn't moved at all.

"Tobias, are you okay over there?" Arron asked over the comms.

"I got this one guy trapped in the next room." Tobias explained as he kept his sights locked on the doorway. "Is it okay if I move in?"

"Do you think you can handle it?" Arron asked in return.

"Uhh..." Tobias wasn't really sure what he was capable of, but he was curious to find out. And any guidance he would've received from Arron was cut short as their leader of Alpha team became caught up in a gunfight. "I'm going in."

Keeping his weapon raised, Tobias approached the doorway now, checking his radar out of the corner of his eyes. According to his radar, his opponent was in the corner of the room to his left, so Tobias already had an idea of where to look the moment he went in. Leaping into the room, Tobias didn't hesitate to begin firing into the corner of the room where the enemy was located, but it was then that Tobias realized he had put five shots into the wall.

'What the?' Tobias said himself before noticing some movement higher up. He only had a moment to look up to see a Hunter hanging from the ceiling before the Hunter dropped down onto him. Tobias gasped as he the Hunter landed a drop kick on his shoulder, sending him to the floor and without wasting a second the Hunter drew a small jagged knife from the belt on his waist and drove it into Tobias' torso.

Everything went black.

"Yikes, you got jumped Tobias." Arron noted with a snicker.

"Dang." Tobias muttered as he replayed the very short encounter he had with that Hunter, and he quickly realized his mistake. He didn't even consider the possibility of being attacked from above, but everyone was thinking on their feet.

Tobias had to admit that he was rather unnerved though at how quickly that Hunter had acted against him. There wasn't any sort of hesitation in his actions. As soon as Tobias was vulnerable, he went in for the kill. But this was training to defeat the Darkness, so there wasn't any room for hesitation or doubt. It was kill or be killed.

Tobias was placed on his feet in the same spot where they had first been dropped when the match started. C point was close by and fortunately no one was capturing it while he had been away from it.

'I gotta focus more.' Tobais said to himself as he tapped his chest. If he was going to fight the Darkness, he couldn't be such an easy target. He had to react faster, think quicker!

Arriving at zone C, Tobias quickly checked the area and the connecting corridors, but no one was in sight.

"Shoot, he got away! There's a Warlock heading up into the center room. I can funnel him to C point for you Tobias!" Arron called out.

"I'm all over it." Tobias declared as he quickly rushed back to to the zone where his radar lit up. And enemy was approaching!

The Warlock came from the same room the Hunter had been hiding in earlier, but unlike the Hunter, this guy came charging into the recklessly. He didn't even care that he ran directly into Tobias' line of fire. Triggering away, Tobias put three bullets into this Warlock before he suddenly vanished out his field of vision.

'The heck?' Tobias said to himself as he lowered his weapon. For just a split second he got a look at his radar which flashed around him. The Warlock was above him! Panicking, Tobias threw himself to the side, hitting the ground rolling to escape the Warlock who had pulled out his shotgun to attack. The Warlock landed where Tobias had previously been standing, but even while resting on his side, Tobias had taken aim with his Proxima, firing away at the Warlock. But the Warlock escaped entirely, only this time Tobias got to see the whole thing.

The Warlock jumped, clean across the room in an instant. Hitting the wall, he grabbed onto a small ledge to hold himself up before planting his feet on the wall to use it as a springboard. Launching himself toward Tobias now, he warped to Tobias again, closing the distance between them in under a second. Tobias was in shock as the Warlock was now in the air directly above him, taking aim with his shotgun.

There was low whistle as a small blur hit the Warlock in the head, causing him to go completely limp in mid air. Tobias was stupefied by this as the body of the Warlock came crashing down beside him with a heavy thud.

"OH! Throwing knife!" Arron exclaimed as he stood in the doorway where the Warlock had come from, pleased to see that he had caught in time to save Tobias.

"Saw it on the kill feed." One his teammates responded.

"Nice one. Maybe they'll show it in the replays at the end of the match." Another added.

"Thanks." Tobias said as Arron offered him a hand for the second time today, helping him get back on his feet.

"Don't mention it." Arron replied. "That Warlock was spamming Blink, so I figured he might be a handful. Here's a quick tip though, don't stop moving. The moment you stop, they know where they have to be to get you."

Tobias nodded slowly as he digested this information. He had to keep the enemy guessing.

The match went on, and Tobias found himself in a one on one showdown with every member from the opposing team. And every single engagement was different. Arron got a kick out of seeing Tobias fight a Titan for the first time as the bulky Guardian came charging into the zone and bulldozed Tobias with Shoulder Charge. He had been tagged with sticky grenades beaten in pure gunfights as well. But despite all this, Tobias found himself having fun.

Every encounter was a new experience, hopefully something that he would be able to take with him out onto the battlefield. But for right now, Tobias could already see that things were starting to slow down. It was becoming easier to follow the movements of his opponents, and he was able to anticipate their next move.

"They're moving in on B point. Let's hold it down and keep our lead!" Arron announced as two of his teammates arrived at zone B to give him some back up.

"Look out, one of them just popped a Golden Gun!"

"Aww damn, they got me." Arron mumbled as he was first to be gunned down by the flaming weapon. But his disappointed quickly put to rest as he saw on of his teammates Blink to evade being hit, getting behind the Gunslinger who had lost track of him completely. Standing behind the Gunslinger now, it was an easy kill as Arron's teammates stabbed him in the back, bringing his Golden Gun to an abrupt in. "Dude, that was nice."

"What else would you expect from me?"

"No need to get cocky now." Arron responded.

Tobias had been listening to the rest of the fireteam as they spoke to one another through their team channel, allowing him to imagine what was taking place further out on the map. He hadn't left zone C at all, so his encounters weren't as frequent as the rest of the team who had been engaging the enemy in all sorts of situations. They always had something to say, whether they had been beaten or victorious in their gunfights. It was exciting, and he couldn't wait for his next engagement.

"Tobias, that Blink spamming Warlock is headed in your direction again." One of his teammates called out.

"I got this!" Tobias proclaimed with a small smile. He hadn't run into this guy since the beginning of the match, and he was eager to see if he could handle this Warlock now. Unlike last time though, the Warlock entered the room Tobias was in from the floor below using an opening in the floor. But just as Tobias had anticipated, the Warlock was using his shotgun and only trying to get close to him.

Tobias dove to his left to avoid his initial attack, but he stayed on his feet this time as he readied his weapon, taking a few shots at his attacker. The Warlock responded to Tobias' counter attack using Blink to cross the entire room once again. But everything was slower this time. Tobias could see as the Warlock left a faded trail through the air as he teleported across the room allowing him to immediately set his sights on his opponent as he landed on the other side of the room.

Tobias fired away, but the Warlock Blinked again to get back to Tobias who had been expecting this. As the Warlock appeared in the air above him with his shotgun ready, and Tobias dared him to shoot as he entered the range of his weapon. The Warlock fired, but all of the pellets that exited the barrel of the weapon hit the floor as Tobias slid right underneath the Warlock. As soon as his feet touched the floor, the Warlock whirled around to fire at Tobias again, but Tobias was already upright and ready for him.

Slapping down on his shotgun, the Warlock was caught of guard as his weapon was out of position and Tobias was the on the attack. Lashing out with his Proxima, Tobias slammed the weapon int the Warlock's helmet which sent him stumbling away with a shout of pain. Tobias quickly pursued though, raising his right hand which had a purple aura rotating around it. Still shaken from that hit to the head, the Warlock was unable to react in time as Tobias delivered a second blow to his stomach.

Tobias buried his palm into the Warlock's gut, releasing a pulsating blast as soon as he made contact which send the Warlock barreling into the far wall of the room. There was a loud thud as he hit the wall before he came crashing down onto a pile of barrels which tumbled over in response.

"Whew!" Tobias gave a shout as he threw a fist in the air. In the kill feed he saw his same declaring him the victor of this engagement.

"Not bad Tobias!" Arron shouted.

"Yeah, nice one another added.

"Thanks guys." Tobias said with as he clenched his fist. He had finally beaten one of them alone. He was getting better.

" _One_ minute remaining!" Shaxx declared.

"Alright guys, we have a small lead, just hang back." Arron commanded.

"This lead isn't big enough. If they do a group capture at B they'll take the lead!"

"They know that. Five of them are headed for B right now!"

"Does anyone have a super?" Arron asked.

There was a collective no from everyone with the exception of Tobias.

"Do you have your's Tobias?"

"I've been super charged for a while now, whatever that means." He replied tentatively.

"Come over to B, we could use that right now!" Arron said. Glancing back at the Warlock once more, Tobias gave himself a small nod before moving out. This was his chance.

Leaving zone C, Tobias soon found himself entering an open area where he could see the massive fort that their match was taking place on. Twilight Gap was definitely familiar.

"Don't come any closer Tobias, you'll show up on their radar." Arron called out.

"But you're over there." Tobias replied as he studied the Hunter that stood on a small platform that overlooked zone B.

"You can see me because we're on the same team, but I'm actually invisible to the enemy team." Arron explained, receiving a nod from Tobias. "So is your Fist of Havoc ready?"

"Fist of Havoc?" Tobias repeated.

"Yeah, you're super." Arron stated, only to receive silence from Tobias. "Oh shoot, we never even checked what class you are. You're a Defender aren't you?"

"I think so." Tobias replied, receiving a deep sigh from Arron and a collective groan from the rest of the team.

"You're bubble isn't going to help us here."

"Why's that?"

"Well it's more of a defensive super to protect yourself."

"Can't I just, throw it at them?"

Arron deadpanned. What kind of Titan was he? Throw your bubble…Tobias must've been out of his mind right now.

"That's not going to work Tobias." Arron muttered. "You'll just be wasting your su-"

Arron was silenced at the sight of Tobias gaining a slight purple glow around him. He was clearly gathering Void Light, and it was centralized around his right arm where the glow was at its strongest. Taking a deep breath, Tobias recalled what he had done on Diana's ship the day before. In the heat of the moment he had gathered all of the energy he could and pushed it out to protect himself. The end result was a Ward of Dawn.

But what if this time, he concentrated it into one spot?

Tobias felt as though his chest become hot as his right hand began to shine brightly as the power he had called forth was ready for use.

'That's not...a Ward of Dawn.' Arron said slowly as he watched Tobias take a few steps before leaping into the air. Everything happened slowly as Arron watched the scene unfold. Tobias was floating the air, looking down at zone below where the opposing team had gathered, anxiously awaiting for the capture to be completed.

Tobias gave a shout as he thrusted his hand forward, pitching the light that had gathered in his hand down onto the area beneath him. It was small at first, matching the size of his hand, but as it traveled it grew in size until it became a swirling vortex that swallowed up the entire zone and all of the Guardians there. The kill feed erupted from the multi-kill, surprising everyone that was participating and watching. Tobias landed softly on his feet and looked up at the sky, giving a shout of victory, although he was completely unprepared for the response from his team.

"OOOOHHHH!"

The shouting that came through the comm system of his helmet nearly blew out his eardrums. As Tobias turned around to look up at Arron, he was tackled by said Hunter.

"How the heck did you do that?!" Arron exclaimed. "You said you were a Defender Titan!"

"What are you talking about?"

"You threw a Nova Bomb at them! Titans can't do that!" Arron continued as the rest of the team arrived at zone B, showering Tobias with praise and questioning him about the final blow he dealt to the enemy team.

* * *

Diana entered the Hall of Guardians, taking a few breaths now that she could slow down a bit. She had witnessed Tobias unleash a Nova Bomb onto the opposing team in the Crucible, and not even a moment after her Ghost informed her that Ikora wanted to meet her. Clearly the Warlock Vanguard had been observing the match as well.

"I'm sure you know why I called you here Diana." Ikora said as she invited Diana to join her over at the center table. Ikora was the only person present in the room at the moment, which was surprising. It wasn't often that the other two Mentors went out.

"I take it you saw Tobias in the Crucible." Diana asked her, getting a nod from Ikora.

"Correct.

"I'm sure you know what I called you here for Diana." Ikora stated as Diana joined her by the long table at the center of the room. "I need you to confirm something for me."

"Sure, what's up?"

"Yesterday you told us he was a Titan, and that he summoned a Ward of Dawn on your ship. I want to see the footage of that." Ikora stated. This was one of the very few times that Ikora was honestly confused. Tobias had come in dressed as a Warlock, but introduced as a Titan. Today he was now equipped with armor like a Titan, but throwing Nova Bombs at other Guardians. Something wasn't adding up here.

"Ghost, can you show it to her?" Diana asked as she raised her hand. Her Ghost materialized above her palm, taking a moment to check its surroundings before projecting the scene that Ikora was anxiously awaiting to see.

"Here it is." Ghost stated. Expanding the size of the hologram, the two Warlocks could clearly see everything that had taken place. Tobias awakened from his slumber, and in his panic he summoned a protective dome around himself, blocking out Diana and her Ghost.

Ikora was speechless, absolutely stunned as she studied the recording. She had never seen anything like this. A Guardian capable of manipulating Light like a Titan as well as a Warlock. Could he wield his Light like a Hunter as well? What was he truly capable of?

"What is he?" Ikora asked softly in bewilderment.

"A hero." A new voice stated, gaining their attention. Ikora and Diana turned to see the Speaker stepping into the room with slow, long strides.

"A hero?" Diana repeated, receiving a nod from the Speaker.

"I had a feeling you would be the first to take note of him Ikora." The Speaker said, earning a narrow stare from her.

"What do you know about him?" Ikora asked him.

"Not too much." The Speaker replied solemnly. "He's been fighting the Darkness for centuries now, since the very beginning."

"Centuries?" Diana exclaimed. He hadn't mentioned any of this yesterday when Tobias was there.

"Yes, centuries. I know it's hard to believe, that's why I didn't tell him yesterday. I didn't want to give him too much information to digest." The Speaker explained.

"You said he was there from the beginning. What do you mean?" Ikora inquired.

"Ah, I was alluding to the fact that Tobias is the first Guardian." He responded.

"Ever?" Diana said with raised eyebrows.

"Yes, Tobias is the first Guardian, ever."

"But that doesn't explain who he's able to manipulate the Light like this." Ikora pointed out.

"Tobias isn't like the other Guardians Ikora. He possesses a Light that knows no bounds. The Radiant Light." The Speaker revealed.

"What's that?"

"It's the Light as its purest and strongest form. He can wield the Light unlike any other Guardian thanks to the Traveler. That is why he is capable of acting as both a Voidwalker and a Defender." The Speaker went on. "But in order to create such a warrior, the Traveler had to make a great sacrifice."

The pair of Warlocks remained silent, waiting for the Speaker to continue.

"The Radiant Light is the very essence of the Traveler. If Tobias were to be killed, the Traveler will die."

Diana was shocked to say the least, and it showed on her face. Ikora on the other hand was still stoic, but needed a few moments to digest this information.

"So, what you're saying is that, the Traveler is, inside of Tobias?" Ikora clarified.

"To an extent, you could say that." The Speaker responded.

"To what extent?" She pressed.

"Tobias had survived the Collapse on Earth. It was a terrifying time, but thanks to the Traveler, mankind had escaped certain doom. But the physical form of the Traveler was dying. It needed a vessel to harbor itself in. "The Speaker went on. "Tobias became that vessel."

"So that's why the Traveler is dormant." Diana noted, receiving a nod from the Speaker.

"Tobias had been blessed with the Light, turning him into an incredible warrior. Sadly, without his memory, he is nothing more than a hollow shell of himself." The Speaker continued. "I want to see to it that he is well trained so that he returns to the standard he previously had for himself."

"I definitely want to see that." Diana said eagerly. Looking up in thought, Diana tried to imagine seeing a Guardian use wielding the Light in any way, shape or form. That would certainly be a sight to see.

"We'll make it happen." Ikora replied.

"I'm entrusting him to you then." The Speaker said. "I have a feeling that Tobias will be able to tip the scales of this battle against the Darkness in our favor."

Diana was surprised that the Speaker could make such a bold statement. It had been a while since Crota had been defeated, and they were constantly bringing in new Guardians. But none of them had snatched up the attention of both the Speaker and a Vanguard Mentor the way Tobias had. This was going to be…legendary.

The Speaker gave them a wave as he left, causing a silence to set in as Ikora and Diana took their time to think about Tobias.

Ikora's expression though became hard as she looked toward the corridor that the Speaker had left through. A hollow shell…it seemed rather odd for the Speaker to call Tobias that.

The Speaker was recognized as the voice of the Traveler. Yet the Traveler that floated about the City was nothing more than a hollow shell if it lived inside of Tobias.

So then, who was the Speaker speaking for…?

* * *

A/N

Alright, now we're just getting started. We're just scratching the surface of what I'm planning to do, so bear with me. There's a lot of stuff I want to develop properly because I want this to be great!

I'm sure you're wondering what to think of Tobias, so all I can say is wait and see. As I said before, this is just the beginning of what I hope will be an incredible Destiny tale.

I had to sneak in some Crucible before things get serious. This is from the old meta though where Thorn, Last Word and Hawkmoon reigned supreme. After playing through the three weapon metas in the Crucible ( Suros era, TLW, Thorn and Hawkmoon era, and now the Pulse Rifle era ) I have to say that right now, the Crucible isn't half bad. Not nearly as toxic when the hand cannon trio were running wild. I must say that I'm interested in the December weapon tuning since they're destroying shotguns. Can't wait to see how the players adjust like we always do.

Things will start to heat up in the next chapter, so let's go!

Please leave your thoughts, concerns or, whatever! :)


	3. First Steps

**Chapter 3**

* * *

 **Tower**

 **Plaza**

A pair of maintenance workers were seated on the upper level of the main plaza within the Tower, quietly partaking in the meals they had brought for lunch.

"Oh man, you've gotta be kidding me!"

"What's the matter?"

"Check out this highlight from a Crucible match this morning." He said, passing his data pad to his partner for him to see. The replay showed Tobias hurling a Nova Bomb down onto five members of the opposing team, wiping them out to win the game.

"Whoa, that was a nice multi." His friend replied, earning a sigh from him.

"Take a closer look at it."

"Hmm...wait a sec, isn't that a Titan?"

"Mhmm."

"But I thought something like this was impossible."

"I guess not, but either way, that's freakin' awesome."

Word had spread quickly around the Tower about the Titan that had thrown a Nova Bomb during a Crucible match earlier in the day. Everyone was watching the replays, trying to understand if this Titan was really just a Warlock masquerading around as a Titan, or if something truly amazing had just taken place. If it was the latter, then he was an anomaly among the Guardian. Each class had their own abilities. No one had ever been capable of using the abilities of other classes, no matter how skilled they were.

Diana chuckled a bit as she looked upward at the two maintenance workers above her that were animatedly discussing what else Tobias might be able to do. This made Diana think about the replay she had finished examining with Ikora not to long ago. She could recall seeing Tobias howl at the sky, his arms out stretched and his head thrown back. A chill went down her spine at the thought of Tobias performing feats on the battlefield that no one had ever seen before.

She knew nothing about him, but she determined to know more. This man could truly be something special.

"Are you serious?" Arron exclaimed, disappointed with the news Diana had just shared with him. "He can't stay for just like, one more match?"

"No can do. Ikora wants to meet with him. If you really want him to stay you can try talking to her." Diana suggested with a bit of a smirk as Arron quickly dropped the subject. There was no changing Ikora's mind once it was set on something.

"Well, duty calls I suppose." Arron said as he and his team focused on Tobias who as he joined Diana at the entrance to their room. "If you ever get an urge to training in the Crucible, feel free to call us. We definitely wouldn't mind teaming up with you again."

"Thanks, I might take you up on that offer." Tobias replied as they shook hands.

"Don't be a stranger now, come back soon!" Arron called out as Tobias and Diana left the group in their room to prepare for their next match. The two of them walked in silence down the corridor while Diana's Ghost inspected Tobias closely, scanning various parts of him as if it was searching for something.

"Can I help you?" Tobias asked as he shooed away Diana's Ghost.

"No, everything's just fine." It replied simply, getting a shrug from Tobias as he followed Diana. The news they had received from the Speaker had cleared a lot of the suspicions Diana's Ghost had about Tobias. From the moment they had gotten close to Tobias, Diana's Ghost could sense a distinct difference in Tobias' Light compared to that of other Guardians. It was stronger...brighter!

"So Tobias, have you remembered anything since yesterday?" Diana asked curiously, causing Tobias to look up in thought.

"Well actually during that Crucible match I was just in, when I went further into the building we were fighting in, it kind of felt like I had been there already." Tobias responded, peaking their interest.

"Have you ever heard of the Battle of Twilight Gap?" Ghost asked him, causing Tobias to shake his head.

"Arron mentioned Twilight Gap as well, but we didn't get to talk about it at all. It does sound familiar though, but I can't tie it to anything." Tobias explained as he shrugged his shoulders. "Can you tell me what happened there?"

Diana glanced at her Ghost, watching as it shared the tale of the great battle that took place just beyond the perimeter of the Last City. It explained how the Fallen Houses had united to launch an incredible offensive strike against humanity's last sanctuary.

'He's been fighting the Darkness for centuries.' Diana recalled what the Speaker had shared with them earlier. If Tobias had indeed been alive for hundreds of years, it's quite possible that he may have been in the Battle of Twilight Gap. Or at the very least he should know about it.

Diana took a moment to imagine Tobias fighting in the Battle of Twilight Gap, but this proved to be more difficult than she had thought. If he had his memory, then she was certain that he would have been unleashing his full arsenal of abilities onto the Fallen, crushing whatever foes stood in his path. But if Tobias was a powerful as the Speaker was implying, possessing a Light that had no boundaries, then that meant that whoever hit him hard enough to make him lose his memory was incredibly strong as well. There was a dangerous foe lurking.

"Diana, I think I broke your friend." Tobias asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"What?" She asked, turning around to see that she had left Tobias and her Ghost further down the corridor. Her Ghost was frozen in the air with its shell split apart. "Oh, don't worry. Ghost picked up on a broadcast. Just give it a moment."

The small done hovered silently for a few moments before its shell closed up around its core once again. Its small optics seemed to blink a few times as it looked around.

"Diana, I just got a message from Briggs." Her Ghost began as it quickly flew over to her.

"It's about time he responded." Diana muttered as she rolled her eyes. "What does he want?"

"It's actually a recording of a broadcast." Ghost stated. "It's short, but I'll play it back for you."

Ghost began to broadcast the recording of a voice that was all too familiar to Diana. A voice she hadn't heard in quite a bit of time.

"Attention all Guardians, this is Petra Venj of the Awoken Royal Guard. Multiple bounties have been issued on key Fallen targets of the House of the Wolves." A woman announced. "The Reef is now open to you!"

"What's going on?" Tobias asked with a wrinkled forehead. Diana remained silent at the mention of the Reef, the place she had been raised in. She could remember vividly the last time she had been there.

 _Diana stumbled forward, managing to catch herself before she fell to the floor before glancing over her shoulder. She gave the Paladin behind her a dark stare for the shove forward she had just received, but she knew that her treatment was going to be rotten regardless of their audience. Even if this audience consisted of Mara Sov, Queen of the Awoken. The teal skinned beauty remained seated on her throne, leaning back comfortably with one leg crossed over the other. Behind her stood a pair of tall Vandals, each of them giving Diana a narrow stare through their four eyes._

 _Diana lowered her head, unable to look at the Queen as she kneeled down. She already knew what she was here for, and she was more than prepared to accept the consequences._

 _"Well Diana, I had hoped it wouldn't come to this." Mara said softly as the Paladin shackled Diana's hands together behind her back._

 _"My Queen, you're making a mistake." Diana stated, refusing to look at the woman._

 _"I think I have the situation under control." Mara replied as she motioned to the pair of Vandals that stood beside her, ready to take on any task she could give them._

 _"You weren't there on Amethyst." Diana said in a hushed voice. "You didn't see them as they murdered your people."_

 _Mara raised an eyebrow at this as she leaned forward a bit in her seat._

 _"They cannot be trusted." Diana raised her voice as she looked the pair of Vandals. "This decision will surely come back to haunt you!"_

 _"Enough Diana. You're punishment has already been determined. You've been exiled from the Reef." The Queen declared. This statement echoed within Diana's head._

"So it finally happened." Diana mumbled as she ran a hand through her hair with a sigh. "And of course they come running to us for help…"

"Have you heard of the Awoken, Tobias?" Ghost asked as it looked toward him.

The Awoken...Tobias blinked at the mention of that name as a variety of images flashed through his mind. Space stations floating among the remains of a shatter space fleet. Teal skinned women dressed in black. Cloaked figures standing around a small hub.

"They're like Diana right?" Tobias asked, receiving a nod from her Ghost. "And they live out, well, out in space?"

"Have you been to the Reef?" Her Ghost asked curiously.

"The Reef? I'm not really sure..." He replied.

"Well that's no big deal. What you need to know is that the Queen of the Awoken had taken control of a Fallen House some time ago. It was the House of Wolves, the same House they fought during the Reef Wars. It seemed as though the Wolves had accepted her as their Kell, but it looks like they've turned against the Awoken now." Ghost explained.

"I knew this was going to happen…" Diana muttered as she clapped both her hands in front of her face with a deep sigh.

"What's the matter?" Tobias asked as Diana turned away from him.

"Before Diana became a Guardian, she lived in the Reef among the Awoken. But after the Reef Wa-" Ghost began.

"Can it!" Diana snapped at her Ghost, silencing it. Tobias raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, but we don't need to bring that up right now. Did Iggy say when he'd be arriving at the Tower?"

"Iggy?" Tobias repeated as he glanced at Ghost.

"Briggs-6. He's an Exo and the leader of the fireteam Diana is a member of." Ghost replied to Tobias before turning to Diana. "And he's on his way. He was among the first few to hear this broadcast and went straight to Reef to meet with Petra Venj. When he gets here he wants to meet with you and Nikolai to start planning."

"Do you know where Niko is?" Diana asked as she motioned for Tobias to follow her as they continued their trip back to the Tower.

"He's waiting for us at the Tower. The same message from Briggs was sent to him as well." Ghost replied.

"Good, let's get going then."

"Wait, who's Niko and Nikolai?" Tobias asked.

"They're the same person first of all." Diana began. "I just call him Niko for short. He's the Hunter and another member of our fireteam. You'll meet him in a few minutes.

* * *

The Tower was more active than it had been in months. Guardians were rushing to and from their Vaults, gathering their best weapons and gear as they prepared for some extended field activity. Things had been quiet since the war against Crota had ended and it wasn't a necessity for them to be outside of the City for extended periods of time, but with the sudden appearance of the House of Wolves, everyone was prepping for the worst.

Tobias though, didn't seem to notice the hustle and bustle within the Tower plaza as he looked up at Niko with wide eyes. The man had to be at least seven tall, towering over him and Diana. He was huge!

"It's a pleasure to meet you Tobias. You may call me Nikolai Kostas." He bellowed as he shook Tobias' hand, squeezing the life out of it. Niko was a tan skinned man with rugged facial features and a thick beard. His hair was long and unruly, tumbling down to his shoulders. "So is there any reason you're masquerading as a Titan even though you're a Voidwalker?"

Tobias only tilted his head in reply.

"What are you talking about?" He asked in a deadpan, causing Niko to glance at Diana.

"This is pretty much his first day as a Guardian, I haven't had a chance to explain much to him." Diana explained, receiving a nod of understanding from Niko. "I was hoping we could find Ikora before we head out."

As if hearing the mention of her name, the Warlock Vanguard came rushing out of the staircase that led to the Hall of Guardians. Diana wasted no time waving her over.

"I was just looking for you Diana. I saw the message you sent me." Ikora said as she approached them. "What's the matter?"

"I'm assuming you heard the broadcast from the Reef?" Diana asked her.

"Of course."

"We're about to mobilize, so do you have a plan in place for Tobias?" Diana asked her as she motioned toward the Guardian that was quietly listening on.

"I think he's in good hands." Ikora replied with a neutral expression, causing Diana to purse her lips for a moment.

"Wait, you don't mean…?" Diana began, getting a nod from Ikora.

"Yup, from this day forward, Tobias is a member of Undaunted." Ikora declared, causing Tobias to raise his eyebrows as he looked toward Niko. The Hunter gave him a wide grin in response.

"But, at a time like this, a brand new Guardian like him shouldn't be a part of our fireteam." Diana reasoned. "We're about to engage a Fallen House. At the very least this can wait until after this whole mess blows over. He'd be safer with the Mentors than with us."

"All of the Mentors, including myself, will be joining the other Guardians out on the field. The Wolves have scattered to Earth, our Moon, and Venus. Each of us has been assigned to each battlefield." Ikora explained. "Cayde and Zavala have already left, and I have a team waiting for me in the Cosmodrome."

"So he can't stay with you guys. But don't you think he should stain the City. The House of Wolves is incredibly dangerous. Putting him out there against them will just get him slaughtered." Diana said pointedly.

"Hurt-ful." Tobias said softly with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah, hurtful!" Niko added, causing Diana to roll her eyes at her teammate's antics.

"He's already proven that he's capable fighter Diana." Ikora began.

"The Crucible is completely different from being out there in the wild." Diana exclaimed, interrupting Ikora. "There's no intent to kill in the Crucible, but the House of Wolves is more than ready to kill anything that stands in their way."

"Diana." Ikora said sternly, silencing her rant. "This isn't something we're going to discuss. You are aware of the situation surrounding Tobias, that is why I'm entrusting him to you and your teammates. You all will act as his mentors."

Diana sighed as she folded her arms in front of her chest, still a bit ill tempered.

"I understand that this incident involving the Wolves is something that hurts you deeply, but we must concentrate on the bigger picture. Tobias is a special case and we must make sure that he is redeveloped into the Guardian he once was." Ikora stated, peaking Niko's interest as he took another look at Tobias.

"Ikora, your ship is ready and waiting." Her Ghost called out as it took shape beside her.

"I don't have any more time right now Diana. But once things calm down we'll discuss a proper plan for Tobias. But for right now you've received you task. Please take care of it with great care Diana." Ikora said before she left them, heading for the Hanger.

"It it's too much of a bother for you guys, I could always hang around her until you all get back." Tobias offered, breaking the silence that had set in.

"It's not a problem for us. It's just that we're going after the House of Wolves, a vicious and ruthless band of Fallen who have their own agenda. The experience could be valuable, but the chances of you being killed are incredibly high. I don't think you should be exposed to that kind of danger just yet." Diana explained, causing Niko to laugh out loud.

"This is coming from the savage girl who took out an Archon on her first day working for the Vanguard." Niko bellowed, causing Diana to blush.

"What do you mean savage?!" She exclaimed.

"I think Tobias will be just fine." Niko replied as he slapped Tobias on the back. "I happen to like our cross-dressing Warlock!"

Diana deadpanned as Tobias gave Niko a look of confusion.

"Cross dressing?" Diana said as she looked at him expectantly.

"Yeah, he was wearing one of those Warlock dresses when you found him right, or at least that's what you're report said." Niko replied.

"For the last time Niko, they're _robes_!" Diana hollered at him. "And besides, at least we don't run around wearing a stupid cape like you Hunters!"

"Oh, you know you're stepping on a minefield with that one." Niko said replied before both of their Ghosts took shape beside them.

"Ahem, with the current situation I don't think we have time to be arguing over your accessories." Diana's Ghost pointed out, earning a sharp stare from both Niko and Diana.

"Accessories?!" They exclaimed together.

"Not a good choice of words." Niko's Ghost whispered to Diana's who sighed.

"Hey, if I'm going to kick ass I might as well look damn good while I'm doing it!" Niko shouted at their Ghosts.

"Yeah, what he said!" Diana added.

"But I definitely wouldn't be caught _dead_ wearing a stupid Warlock dress." Niko said, earning an elbow from Diana.

"Just so you guys know, Briggs is already in the hanger waiting for you all on his ship." Niko's Ghost pointed out.

"And he doesn't sound very patient at the moment." Diana Ghost said, causing the two of them took take a breath before turning back to Tobias.

"Sorry about that Tobias." Niko said to him.

"No time to waste though guys. Let's get moving!" Diana declared as she dashed off toward the hanger.

* * *

Approaching the ship that was waiting for them on one of the landing pads, a small ramp had been lowered from the base of the ship that led up into the main chamber of the vessel. Waiting at the top of the ramp was man that was just as tall as Niko, but clad in bulky armor like Tobias. He was clearly a Titan.

"That, is Briggs-6." Diana's Ghost said to Tobias as he looked up at the robotic humanoid. His eyes were a piercing red, matching the color of his facial plating.

"Whoa." Tobias said as the Titan invited the group of three up into his ship.

"And with that, you've now met all of the members of Undaunted." Ghost noted, earning a confused expression from Tobias.

"Undaunted? What's that?" He asked.

"That's the name of their fireteam, although they're not actually responsible for it. The Future War Cult had dubbed them that for taking on any task even with the greatest of odds stacked against them." Ghost explained, causing Tobias to raise his brow.

"Wow, what'd they do?"

"Well they first received the name when they agreed to into the Black Garden and destroy its heart. And it really caught on when they went down into the Hellmouth to fight Crota." Ghost continued. "They'll take any mission really."

Tobias held quite a bit of admiration for this trio as he stared at the three of them now. They took on any challenge. He liked that.

"Iggy, why didn't you respond to any of my messages?" Diana asked as they all stood in the central chamber of the air craft, a large cabin with multiple seats for transport as many as five fireteams.

"I apologize for that. But once I arrived in the Reef I was under constant supervision from the Awoken. The last thing I want to do was stir up some trouble trying to contact you guys." He explained, causing Diana to roll her eyes. Even when they were requesting help, the Awoken were still incredibly skeptical of outsiders.

"They can't relax even when someone is trying to help them." Diana mumbled as they all took their seats, allowing Briggs' Ghost to bring up the ramp, sealing the exits of the ship to begin their departure.

"So, who's this?" Briggs asked as his gaze settled on Tobias. Inhaling sharply, Tobias remained still as the Briggs examined him closely with his optics. The Titan didn't even blink as he sized up Tobias, not that he needed too.

"This is Tobias." Diana began as she introduced him. He gave Briggs a small wave which went ignored by the Exo. "His past is a bit of a mystery. Only the Speaker knows anything about him, but apparently he's been a Guardian for centuries. But he lost his memory recently its looks like, so Ikora tasked us with retraining him."

"I see. So I'm assuming you're capable of at least providing us with support in our upcoming battles?" Briggs asked him, still starting at Tobias. Diana looked toward Tobias as well, recalling the focus she had seen in his eyes just before he had gone into his Crucible match. She had doubted him this morning, and he had proved her wrong. It seemed likely that he would do that again if she persisted.

"I think he can." Diana stated, getting a nod from Briggs.

"I'll take your word for it." He replied.

"So what's the situation with the Wolves." Niko asked as they strapped themselves to their seats. With Briggs' Ghost acting as the pilot, the ship rose from its landing pad and darted out into the skies above the Last City before swerving off to begin its trip to the Russian Cosmodrome.

"I'll start from the beginning to bring our newest member up to speed." Briggs said as he focused on Tobias now. "The Fallen are a race of vagabonds that have taken up residence in our system. They're broken into various Houses, such the House of Wolves who we are now hunting. The House of Wolves had been defeated by the Awoken in the Reef Wars and became subject to the Queen. She had control over a fair portion of the House and those that didn't submit to her were sent to the Prison of Elders. It seems as though the Wolves had been scheming all along though, integrating themselves into the Awoken society to the point where they were among the Royal Guard, waiting for an opportunity to assassinate the Queen and free those that had been placed in the Prison of Elders."

"What about the assassination? It failed right?" Diana asked curiously, receiving a nod from Briggs.

"Indeed. The Queen still stands, but her Royal Guard has fallen. Not only that, but Skolas has been freed from the prison of Elders. According to Petra Venj, Skolas appointed himself as the Kell of the Wolves as they fled from the Reef." Briggs continued.

"So do we have any idea what they are planning?" Niko inquired.

"No at the moment. It appears as though they were only focused on obtaining freedom." Briggs explained. "After scattering from the Reef they've gone into hiding on the Earth, Earth's Moon as well as Venus. For now the assignment from the Vanguard is to scout out different areas and eliminate any stragglers we find."

"I figured as much." Diana commented.

"So where are we headed?" Niko asked.

"The Forgotten Shore. Numerous reports came in today about an increase in Fallen activity. Likely in response to the presence of the Wolves. So we're going to start our hunt there." Briggs responded. "We'll be arriving within the hour, so get your weapons ready."

"And uh, what should I be doing?" Tobias asked he leaned forward in his seat a bit.

"I'm under the impression that you're a Titan, so it seems I'll be responsible for you training." Briggs began.

"Wait, I saw that video where you threw a Nova Bomb. Aren't you a Voidwalker?" Niko cut in, surprising Briggs.

"A Voidwalker?" Briggs repeated before motioning to the gear Tobias was wearing. "Take a look at the gear he's wearing."

"I'm not blind. But like I said, there was a recording of him in the Crucible this morning where he threw a Nova Bomb!" Niko pointed out, causing Briggs to set his gaze on Tobias, waiting for an explanation.

"Calm down you two, I'll explain everything." Diana interjected before the two of them could go any further. "Tobias isn't a Warlock, or a Titan."

"What, are you going to say he's a Hunter?" Niko asked with a chuckle.

"Well actually, you could say that he's all of them." Diana stated, leaving her two teammates dumbfounded.

"What do you mean, 'all of them'?" Briggs asked as he now studied Tobias extensively.

"The reason he's dressed like a Titan is because he summoned a Ward of Dawn when I first met him. Then in the Crucible today he threw a Nova Bomb." Diana explained, scratching her own head since it sounded so strange to say this.

"How is that even possible? No one has ever been able to channel Light across different classes." Niko noted.

"Well the Speaker said that Tobias possess a special form of the Light. It doesn't have any limitations, so basically he can channel any type of Light, any way he wants too." Diana stated, leaving them stunned at the thought. "But we can go over this more later on. Right now, we should be focusing on the Wolves."

"Agreed." Briggs said with a nod. "But if you truly are capable of wielding any Light, we should split his training between the three of us."

"That sounds good to me. I always wanted another Hunter on this team. And I'll make sure you don't end up in one of those Warlock dresses." Niko said to him with a toothy grin.

"Oh shut it Niko." Diana said to him.

"Guardian." Briggs said, getting Tobias' attention. "We'll do everything in our power to help you improve, but you have to learn quickly. Whatever your learn now will likely be the key for you to survive our battle with the House of Wolves."

Tobais gulped audibly as his heart rate quickened. In the span of one morning everything had changed drastically. Just a few hours ago he had been a practice match, just to get his feet wet as a Guardian. Now all of a sudden he was being deployed with the Guardians to combat the House of Wolves. Wringing his hands together, Tobias couldn't hold back a small smile from forming on his face.

For some odd reason, he couldn't wait.

 **Cosmodrome**

 **Forgotten Shore**

"Tobias, you probably don't know this. But this is the place where I found you." Diana informed Tobias as the two of them stood on the rocky coastline, admiring the expansive sea in front of them. "Have you managed to remember how you got here, or at least what you were doing before?"

Tobias looked around, hoping that his surroundings would trigger something. But his mind was still blank. How did he end up here? What happened before he ended up on the Forgotten Shore?

Once again he saw himself in a dark fog, his scout rifle raised as he gunned down a group of green eyed foes. He was by himself. No back up. Completely alone.

But why was he there?

"I'm still not really sure." Tobias said as he shook his head. "The only thing I can remember is me shooting at something."

"Do you do know what it is?" Diana pressed, eager to know what enemy could challenge Tobias.

"I don't know. It's really foggy." He replied after a pause.

"Don't worry about it. It'll come back with time." Diana said to him, giving him a pat on the back for reassurance. "For now, I think we should get a jump on your training."

"Right." Tobias said with a nod of agreement.

 _"Rock, paper, scissors…shoot!" Niko said as he, Diana and Briggs thrusted a hand forward. "Hah, rock beats scissors Diana!"_

 _Diana deadpanned as she stared at her hand, regretting her choice immediately. Both Briggs and Niko had selected rock, making her the loser and she would be the first to oversee Tobias' training._

 _"No fair, best two out of three!" She said as she looked up, but both of her teammates were long gone already._

"So Tobias, are you familiar with the Light?" Diana asked him.

"Uhh, I don't think familiar is the best word for it. I can feel it if that makes any sense." He replied.

"That's good. But do you understand how to us it, or, manipulate it?" She went on.

"What do you mean?"

"Well the Light is more than just something that exists. For Guardians who were raised with the Light, we're capable of manipulating it to fight the enemies that threaten the Traveler." Diana explained.

"Oh, so it's like a kind of energy."

"That's one way to put it." Diana said with pursed lips as tried to think of how best to describe this to him. "Like, what did you feel when you threw that Nova Bomb in the Crucible this morning?"

"Umm, it was kind of like a surge. Although, I was kind of copying what I had done when I was on your ship. When Aaron said we need something to wipe out the enemy team, I figured we needed something with a bang." Tobias explained, although he wasn't really sure what he was trying to describe for her.

"Wow, are you serious?!" Diana exclaimed, surprising him.

"What's the matter?"

"No, that's just amazing! You're more of a Warlock than any of us gave you credit for." Diana said. "You see, Guardians are separated into classes. Hunters, Titans and Warlocks. Each of us wield the Light different, for example, Hunters use the Light to create and enhance weapons. Titans use the Light to empower themselves physically."

Tobias nodded slowly, trying to keep up with all of this information.

"Warlocks bend and shape the Light with their imagination." Diana said as she raised her hand up a bit, opening up her palm where a small lavender sphere took shape of her hand. Small trails of light began to circle around, tracing circles around it before Diana waved off her small creation. "Unlike Hunters and Titans, Warlocks can draw power from their surroundings. That's why I was asking you if you understand how to manipulate the Light."

"Well every time I've done something so far, it felt like I was powered up from…inside me." Tobias replied as he placed a hand on his chest. He could sense the Light around him, but he hadn't tried to use it or do anything with it.

"Huh, that's interesting." Diana noted, but she shrugged off the thought for now. "Let's give it a go and see what happens."

"Alright, so what do you want me to do?" Tobias asked her.

"Well hold on, there's more to it. There are three types of Light that you can channel and or manipulate, that we know of at the moment. All Guardians are capable of using all three types, we're just not efficient at putting all of them to use yet." Diana explained, getting a slow nod from Tobias. "As a Voidwalker, I gather Void Light from the Void."

"Wait, what's the Void?" Tobias interjected with the mention 'void' so many times in one sentence.

"We don't have clear proof yet, but it's believed to be a realm that hovers between imagination and reality. Warlocks have been studying it for I don't know how long, but outside of that, they've only been able to determine that there is like, _a ton_ , of potential energy in there. That's where we draw Void Light from." Diana replied. "Other than that, the Void is still a mystery to us. When you're manipulating Void Light, it responds and reacts to your imagination. That's why I was saying you're more of a Warlock. You're clearly capable of shaping the Light as you see fit."

"Wow, thanks." Tobias said for the compliment, if it was a compliment. Clearly he had a lot to learn though.

"Moving on though, there's still Arc Light, which you could think of as kinetic energy. It's always in motion around you. Solar Light is just like thermal energy." Diana continued.

"So is Solar Light stronger during the day, or if you're closer to the sun?" Tobias inquired.

"Most Warlocks aren't actually allowed to use Solar Light, so I don't know if that's true." Diana replied, peaking Tobias' curiosity.

"I thought you said everyone could use any kind of Light. Why can't you use Solar?"

"That's a whole different issue that's tied to one of the Warlock Orders. I don't want to bore you with the details." Diana replied as she waved off the subject. "For now though, let's focus on using Void Light."

"O-kay. Sounds good to me." Tobias said as the two of them moved closer to the rocky shoreline.

"Since you've already used a Nova Bomb during your match this morning, let's see if you can do it again." Diana suggested as she took some distance from Tobias. "Remember, Void Light responds to how you want to shape it. Don't be afraid to try something."

"Right." Tobias said as he looked down at his right hand, opening and closing his fingers a few times as if to warm them up.

Recalling what he had done this morning in the Crucible, Tobias felt his chest begin to warm up again just like it had this morning. Then he centered it into his hand once again which he cocked backward. Diana smiled a bit at the sight of his hand becoming engulfed in Void Light, pleased that he was making such progress on just his first attempt.

Looking out at the horizon of the sea, Tobias wanted to see just how far this thing could go. Thrusting his hand forward again, the Void Light erupted from his palm, skating across the surface of the water. It traveled out quite a distance before it detonated, sending out ripples through the water for a few moments.

"Awesome, you did a Lance already!" Diana exclaimed as she dashed over to him, congratulating him on his handy work.

"A Lance?" Tobias repeated.

"The Nova Bomb doesn't have too much air time. But a few decades ago Voidwalkers developed the Lance. By adjusting where we centralize the Void Light in a Nova Bomb, it can travel longer distances." Diana explained.

"Oh, that's pretty cool."

"The Nova Bomb is easily the coolest ability developed by Voidwalkers. Like I said earlier, Void Light responds to how you want to shape it, so there's endless possibilities for how you can use the Nova Bomb and a few other abilities as well." Diana said before Tobias raised a hand to stop her.

"Hold on. In the Crucible this morning, there was a Warlock that was like, teleporting everywhere. I think they called it Blink." Tobias said as he looked up in thought.

"Yeah, that's it."

"Teach me that." He stated, surprising Diana.

"W-Well sure." She replied with a bit of a chuckle. "Although, I'm warning you now, it's not that easy."

"It doesn't matter to me whether it's easy or not. I need to start improving." Tobias stated as he recalled what Briggs had said earlier. His survival was dependent on how much he learned. He needed to expand his arsenal right now.

Diana though bit down on her bottom lip. Tobias had made quick work on Nova Bomb. It had taken her days before she could use that ability even remotely well, yet Tobias was throwing them around with ease. If he breezed through Blink as well then Diana knew for sure that Tobias was destined for greatness.

"So how do I actually use Blink?" Tobias asked her, ready to learn.

"First off, don't tell Niko this, but while Hunters developed Blink, Warlocks are the masters of it." Diana began, getting a snort from Tobias. "You could say that both classes created their own kind of Blink, and while a Warlock's Blink is more effective, it's also more dangerous."

"What makes it more dangerous?"

"For a Warlock to Blink, we enter and exit the Void to travel short distances. That's why visualization is the key. If you can't think of where you're going to be, you can get lost in the Void?"

"And what happens if I get lost in there?"

"Let's just say I'd prefer if that didn't happen." Diana responded almost cheekily.

"Okay then, so how do I get in and out of the Void?" Tobias asked her, waiting for some clarification.

"Well I'll demonstrate once so that you can see it for yourself up close." Diana said as took a few steps back. She took in a quick breath before she jumped into the air, crossing her arms in front of her. For just a split second, Tobias could see a small seam open up in the air which Diana had disappeared into. She was gone, but only for a moment. She reappeared in the air several meters away from him, coming down softly on her feet with her cloak fluttering gently.

"Did you see it?" She asked him as she came back over to him.

"Yeah, I think so. That little split in the air right?" Tobias said, receiving a nod from her.

"Yup, that's it. I know I've said this a thousand times by now, but Void Light bends to your will. But when you're using Blink, my suggestion is to think of Void Light as a doorway." Diana explained for him, getting nod of thanks from Tobias for this tip.

'A doorway.' He said to himself as he mimicked everything that he had seen Diana do. But in the end Tobias found himself resting on his bottom, surprised that he had hit the ground again so soon.

Diana stifled a laugh at the sight of Tobias falling down. It was obvious that he was expecting to be higher in the air, or somewhere else altogether, so he was hitting the ground far sooner than he had been planning on.

"Here Tobias, let me demonstrate for you again." Diana offered now that Tobias had fallen flat on his face a few times.

"Diana, you'll have to put that on hold." Her Ghost called out as it materialized beside her.

"What's the problem?" She asked.

"Briggs located a Fallen Skiff further up the coastline. He's been watching it for a while now and he's reported that activity is starting to pick up around it." Ghost explained.

"Does he intend to engage them?"

"With the increased activity, he wants to see if he can stir up the Wolves by attacking this Skiff. So he wants us to gather together just in case they have a large force assembled there."

"Awesome, get my Sparrow for me please." Diana stated. The land craft quickly formed in front of her, which she jumped onto, rolling the handles to rev the engine. "Come on Tobias, let's get on the move. Iggy is getting ready to attack."

'An attack?' He said to himself as he took a seat behind Diana on her Sparrow. Now things were starting to get exciting! Receiving the coordinates from her Ghost, Diana took off at full speed, racing toward Briggs' location.

* * *

"Whoa, look at them." Niko commented as he studied the Skiff that hovered close to the ground, delicately placed within a small divide. There were multiple squadrons of Fallen foot soldiers around the Skiff, scouting the area to ensure that nothing was approaching them.

He and Briggs were perched on top of a cliff overlooking the shoreline, well outside of the area that was being patrolled by the Wolves.

"There's definitely more Skiffs around here. There are too many grunts down there for there to be only one transport in the area." Briggs explained, getting a nod from Niko.

"So what do you think they're doing?" Niko asked him.

"They haven't been free for too long. They might be waiting on some orders from the Skolas, or any of the survivors leaders of the House." Briggs replied. "But if they were to come under attack, I'm sure they'll retaliate and expose themselves."

"So once Diana gets here there's going to be fireworks huh?" Niko asked as he glanced at his commander with a smirk.

"There's a definite possibility." Briggs replied. And right on cue, the two of them turned around the sound of an approaching Sparrow.

"I hope we didn't keep you guys waiting." Diana said as she came to a stop beside them, allowing both her and Tobias to jump off of the Sparrow which vanished once there was no driver on it.

"Niko, run the plan by them." Briggs stated as he went down on one knee, calling for his Ghost.

"O-kay. We're gonna blow that Skiff." Niko said as he pointed out their target for the two of them. "Anything that moves after that…kill it."

Tobias felt a chill as he spotted the Skiff, the visor on his helmet zooming in for him to get a closer look. He had seen this ship before…but he couldn't recall where.

"Oh man, I can't believe he's going to use it." Diana exclaimed, gaining Tobias' attention. Turning to look at her, he found the Warlock practically looming over Briggs along with Niko as they stared at the weapon mounted on his shoulder.

"Whoa, what the heck is that?" Tobias exclaimed as he got a good look at the rocket launcher for himself. It was beautifully crafted, with lions head and wings carved in gold.

"Gjallarhorn." Diana said to him as she, Niko and Tobias admired the weapon.

"It was created after the Battle of Twilight Gap." Niko added before he was shushed by Diana. With the silence setting in, they all could hear the soft hum of the weapon's targeting system as it locked onto the Skiff down below.

"It was a gruesome battle…" Briggs stated. "But in times of peril…that's when true heroes shine the brightest."

He pulled the trigger.

A high pitched screech rang out as the shell shot out of the barrel of the launch, piercing through the air as nothing more than a gray blur. It left a trail of white smoke as it curved downward, racing toward the Skiff where it crashed directly into the side of the large aircraft. More than half of the Skiff became engulfed within the explosion, while the rest of it came crashing to the ground below.

Tobias had to planet his feet as he was hit by a sudden and powerful gust of wind. They were a considerable distance from the Skiff, yet the force of the explosion could be felt all the way back here!

"Oh my god!' Tobias exclaimed, but this was far from over. From the heart of the explosion, several small nodes burst out, raining down onto the Fallen squadrons that were in disarray from the sudden attack. "That thing is ridiculous!"

"The heroes of that battle rest within this weapon. It was crafted from our fallen comrades, and fueled by their Light." Briggs explained as he rose. "It serves as a reminder to those of us who survived. We must do everything in our power to make sure that our City stands, even if we must make the ultimate sacrifice."

Everyone was mentioning the Battle of Twilight Gap, and the more Tobias heard about it, the more he wanted to know.

"So you were at, Twilight Gap?"

"Indeed Guardian."

"Can you tell me what I was like?" Tobias asked, but before they could continue, the piercing howl of a Fallen Captain resounded through the area.

"Here they come!" Diana shouted as a pair of Skiffs broke out of their camouflage, already in route toward the fireteam Undaunted tracking the trail of smoke left by the Gjallarhorn rocket. Examining the Skiffs closely as they approached, Briggs spotted the turrets on the front of the ships open up, prepared to fire upon the Guardians.

"Get back!" Briggs barked as he stepped in front of the group. Stomping his feet, Briggs then thrusted both his arms outward, creating a Ward of Dawn over his team to block out the energy blasts that were being launched at them.

Now that Skiffs were hovering above them on the cliff, the foot soldiers within the ship became to climb out of the rear of the aircraft, hanging onto the handles bars for a moment as they spotted their targets. Dropping down from the Skiff, the Fallen varied in size as they glared at the Guardians, readying their weapons.

"Diana, we need to knock out those Skiffs!" Briggs called out. Stepping outside of his Ward of Dawn meant that they would be under fire from the ship from above.

"Taken care of." Diana replied as she took a hold of her right forearm, stretching out her fingers as her hand became engulfed in a purple light. Tobias immediately recognized this as preparation for a Nova Bomb, and he was eager to see how Diana would use it. She then jumped, Blinking into the air alongside the Skiff. "Hah!"

Swinging her hand through the air, Diana unleashed three small spheres of purple light which completely annihilated the Skiff she had been aiming at. Anything that had come into contact with this Nova Bomb was eaten up, leaving the small remains of the Skiff to come crashing down to the ground.

"That's one down!" Diana called out as she now received the full attention of the Fallen that on the ground. They all began to fire their weapons at her, but she quickly Blinked back to the safety of Briggs' Ward of Dawn.

"I've got the other one!" Briggs called out as he reloaded his Gjallarhorn. He only stepped out of the dome for a moment to fire, before stepping back in to avoid being caught by the blast. The rocket detonated on the bottom of the Skiff, sending parts of it flying all directions while the Fallen on the ground below threw themselves to the floor to avoid being thrown away by the force of the blast. "Go Niko, while they're distracted!"

"Be ready to give me cover fire when I call for it!" Niko called out as he bent over, reaching for the tanto blade he had strapped to the back of his belt. Swinging the blade through the air, it gained a blue hue as it grew in length, beginning to crackle with electricity. Tobias' eyes widened as Niko's entire body became blue just like the blade he held, but that was all he would see of Niko for the next few moments as he dashed toward the enemy.

The Hunter was nothing more than a blur as he raced through the Fallen, shredding them to pieces with his blade. His speed had risen tenfold, allowing him to cover the distance from one enemy to the next in an instant, vanquishing his foes with ease.

"What is that?!" Tobias asked as he watched the Fallen numbers dwindle from Niko's assault.

"That's Arc Blade, a special ability developed by Bladedancers." Diana replied.

"It's awesome!" Tobias replied. He definitely wanted to learn how to use this.

"Suppressive fire would be mighty helpful right now!" Niko called out as his Arc Blade came to an end, giving them the cue. Diana and Briggs stepped out of the bubble, both of them receiving an auto rifle from their Ghosts which they used to keep the remaining Fallen at bay before they could surround Niko.

"Diana, can you wrap this up for us?" Briggs asked her seeing that the number of remaining Wolves was nothing serious.

"With pleasure." Diana said as she Blinked into the air once again, her hand becoming absorbed in light once again. Unleashing another Nova Bomb onto the final Wolves, they were all obliterated as Diana landed in front of her teammates.

"Dang Diana, two Nova Bombs!?" Niko said as he and Briggs approached her.

"Yeah, thanks to this." She said as she motioned to the black helmet she was wearing. The Obsidian Mind.

"What's that?" Niko asked. This helmet looked like the same helmet she had been wearing before, just with a black paint job.

"It's a special helmet designed by the Astral Order. It's like an aid for channeling Void Light, so it's easier for us to use our abilities." She explained to them.

"More like spam them." Niko said with a snort.

"That's an excellent tool." Briggs commented as he gave a nod of approval for their handy work. The Fallen forces had been absolutely decimated by space magic, sent to an electrical oblivion or thoroughly charred by Gjallarhorn.

Tobias took a deep breath as he watched the three of them talk candidly in the midst of the wreckage they had created. Diana and Briggs gave each other a high five while Niko saluted to the sky. Even though they had just fought with their very lives at stake, they seemed to be enjoying themselves. Was this what it was like for all Guardians?

* * *

A/N

Awesome, so now we've seen all the members of the fireteam Tobias will be joining. Diana the Warlock. Niko the Hunter. Briggs-6 the Titan. They simply go by the name Undaunted. Does that sound weird to anyone? They're basically the canon fireteam that destroyed the Black Garden and killed Crota. Tobias is there newest member, and he's bound to learn a lot from each of them considering they all have something to teach him. We'll explore each of them as characters as we go further into the story.

Thanks for all the support and what not so far, I really appreciate it. :D I don't have a set timetable for how often I'll update. Right now I'm a few chapters ahead of what I've posted, and I want to keep it that way, so my updates will likely be random at best. I might find some consistency as we go on, so I guess just keep an eye out for an update. So until we meet again, happy reading!

In response to 'Deftex', I do agree with you that _certain_ weapons should only have one in existence. Some of them though strike me as weapons that could and should be mass produced for the Guardians. Suros Regime is Golden Age tech, I don't see why this weapon couldn't be reverse engineered and mass produced. Not to mention there are several Gjallarhorn's in existence. They were built from the armor of the _thousands_ of Guardians who fell in battle, and I highly doubt that much armor could go into just one shoulder mounted rocket launcher. Now obviously there are some weapons where there can only be one according to grimoire, as well as for the sake of not breaking the universe. Thorn (shivers), Ice Breaker ( I think I've read somewhere that Ice Breaker explodes if you empty it the magazine completely, so we definitely don't need too many of these around with the number of incompetent Guardians out there ). I'm not disagreeing with you, but we're fighting extinction here. I don't see why everyone wouldn't be looking for ways to help the Guardians.


	4. Hustle in the Darkness

**Chapter 4**

* * *

 **Forgotten Shore**

It had been a full day since fireteam Undaunted had arrived at the Forgotten Shore, and Tobias was bummed out to say the least. He had yet to actually contribute in any of their engagement with the Wolves.

He had been nervous at first with all of the statements that he could be killed, but now he found himself getting anxious. He wanted to help out too!

Briggs was an excellent commander, directing Niko and Diana flawlessly, but Tobias always seemed to be relegated to providing cover fire for them and nothing else. And even that was a struggle with how bad his aim was still. He had been missing his targets in the Crucible as well the day before, but Aaron attributed that to the opposing Guardians high mobility. They didn't give him a chance to even aim properly. But now he had the opportunity to fire at targets that weren't nearly as quick as the Guardians, but he was still missing.

His Proxima Centuari II felt natural in his hands; he could line up the sights with his target. But controlling the recoil after each shot was the problem for him. Landing a second, third or even fourth shot was next to impossible for him.

 _"Tobias, I said lay down some cover fire for Niko!" Briggs boomed at Tobias who drew in a sharp breath as he looked down the sights of his scout rifle, taking aim at the pair of Captains that were pursuing their Hunter. Tobias didn't hesitate to pull the trigger, unloading the entire magazine, but he failed to draw the attention of the Fallen Captains. "Diana, help him out!"_

"Sorry my aim is such crap." Tobias said to Niko as the two of them stood alone on the shoreline. It was Niko's turn to spare Tobias some of his knowledge as a Guardian.

"Don't be hard on yourself Tobias." Niko said as he shook his head.

"But you were in trouble earlier and I couldn't even help you out." Tobias reasoned with him, causing Niko to throw his head back with a hearty laugh.

"Please Tobias, I could've taken down those Captains whenever I wanted to. To tell you the truth, Briggs told me to act as bait to test you." Niko explained, causing Tobias to drop his shoulders as he stared at Niko incredulously. "You failed to say the least."

"Wow, I suck." Tobias stated.

"I won't disagree with you there, but that's why they gave you to me today." Niko explained as he took some distance from Tobias. "Diana told me you're pretty skilled with space magic. But it's pretty clear we need to brush up on your weapon skills. So I'm going to train you as a Gunslinger."

"Man, teach me anything." Tobias said. He just didn't want to be utterly useless in battle again.

"Alright then, we'll start with this. The trump card for us Gunslingers." Extending his hand toward Tobias, a gray pistol formed in his hand causing Tobias to raise his eyebrows in surprise. Niko raised the small weapon over his head as it twinkled, causing it to become ignited with flames. The Hunter then lowered it and took aim at a large boulder nearby. Firing just once, a thin stream of flames was unleashed that cut right through the boulder, leaving a clean hole through it as though it were paper.

"Daa~ng!" Tobias exclaimed as he dashed over to the boulder to examine the work of Niko's flaming gun. "What was that?"

"Golden Gun. I'm not a particularly big fan of it, but there's nothing more satisfying than incinerating your enemies with this thing." Niko stated with a grin as the pistol returned to its previous state, allowing him to toss it to Tobias. "Now you give it a try."

"What do I do?" Tobias asked.

"Channel Solar Light into it."

"The heck does that mean?"

Niko frowned a bit, trying to think of how to explain this. He could tell that Tobias was more a Warlock than a Titan or Hunter. He didn't think instinctively like a Hunter. This had to be broken down for him.

"So you have to…kind of gather your energy, and stuff it into the gun." Niko explained, scratching the back of his head. This was actually his first teaching assignment. He had never really given it much thought as to how his abilities work.

"I…don't get it." Tobias replied shaking his head as Niko approached him, taking back the pistol.

"Just watch me then. You'll get it after you see it a few times." Niko said as he began to demonstrate Golden Gun for Tobias. He went through the process of channeling Solar Light into the weapon about three or four times before he returned it to Tobias, motioning for him to give it a shot.

Tobias looked down at the gray pistol nervously. He still had no clue what Niko was telling him to do. His only hint was to, 'gather his energy'. That had to be similar to the mechanics behind a Nova Bomb.

Tightening his gut, Tobias began to gather his strength and funnel it through his arms and into the pistol, and the weapon roared to life!

"Haha, nice!" Niko called out as soon as the pistol became engulfed in flames, but Tobias immediately threw it at the ground

"Ouch! Damn it!" Tobias exclaimed before blowing on his hands which had been burned.

"Wait a sec, did you just burn yourself?" Niko asked, getting a nod from Tobias as he continued to blow on his hands.

Niko frowned a bit. He had never heard of a Hunter burning themselves with Golden Gun.

"Guess there's a first time for everything." Niko mumbled.

They gave it a few more attempts, but it became to Niko that Tobias was struggling to control the Solar Light he was using.

"Alright then, I guess we'll move on to something else." Niko commented, causing Tobias to perk up.

"Wait, I almost had it that time." Tobias said although his hands were killing him.

"Don't worry about it Tobias, I think it'll be better if we give something else a try." Niko pointed out.

"Oh, so we're going to work on my aim then?"

"Well we can't fix that in a day. I want give you something you can use in our next fight." Niko explained, getting a nod of agreement from Tobias. "Golden Gun may not be your strong point, but I think Arc Blade might suit you better."

"How come?"

"Well it's the best ability we've developed. Forget anything else you learned, Arc Blade puts all of them to shame." Niko said, getting a chuckle from Tobias. Niko loved Arc Blade. He could talk about it for hours if he had to.

"What makes you say that?" Tobias asked him curiously.

"Arc Blade goes beyond just granting you weapon like Golden Gun. It improves almost every aspect of you physically speaking. You have to heighten your senses to the highest degree, and then take almost all of the Light you can muster and pump it into your muscles for speed and toughness. The key there is _almost_ all of your Light. You won't be able to wield a weapon like an assault rifle, so that's why we keep so many of these." Niko explained as he removed a small blade from his belt. Taking a moment to study Niko, Tobias could see at least three more of these blades on his person. One tied to his right forearm, another to his left bicep, and still another on his belt. "This will become your primary weapon. Whatever Light you have left over, you covert it into Arc Light and cram it into your blade."

Niko then began his demonstration, crouching a bit as his body gained a teal hue. But now that he was focusing on Niko, Tobias could see everything. The already large and burly Hunter seemed to grown some more as he muscles expanded, filling out his garments. Niko then deactivated Arc Blade, returning to his usual size as he approached Tobias. He then tossed up the tanto he was holding, allowing it to spin in the air before he caught the blade of the weapon fearlessly, extending the handle toward Tobias.

"Give it a shot." He said, motioning for Tobias to go ahead. Recalling what he had seen Niko do each time he had used Arc Blade, Tobias lowered his posture and clutched the handle of the tanto tightly. Taking in a deep breath, he rid his mind of any thoughts.

 _"Heighten your senses to the highest degree."_

Closing his eyes, Tobias held his breath for a moment. Then he exhaled, and suddenly he heard a gust of wind. Opening his eyes slowly, he realized that it was nothing more than the sea breeze. But it was so much louder now. He could hear the waves crashing against the shoreline in the distance. He could hear Niko as he took a soft breath. Looking out at the horizon line of the ocean, Tobias marveled at how clear his vision was.

"Whoa." Tobias exclaimed as he looked around. He could see everything!

"It'll take a little while to get used to it." Niko commented, getting a nod from Tobias who then looked down at the weapon he held, ready to take the next step.

Gripping the handle, the muscles in his arms became tense as expanded along with the blade. Tobias then raised one arm with the tanto in hand, examining it as a bolt of electricity escaped from it. It was just like when Niko had used Arc Blade!

"Awesome!" Tobias exclaimed as looked toward Niko, but the Hunter was on his back, kicking the air as he roared with laughter.

"Ghost, get pictures! Diana is going to get a kick out of this!" Niko bellowed as his Ghost took shape, beginning to collect snapshots of Tobias.

Tobias had succeeded in activating Arc Blade…but only in his right arm. Niko couldn't help but laugh as when he saw Tobias' right arm which was larger than its counterpart, glowing in a teal color. He looked like some unholy creation.

Niko continued to demonstrate Arc Blade for Tobias, but Tobias didn't advance any farther from this point. All of the physical boosts Niko had been talking about only applied to his right arm which was a waste for Tobias considering how much faster and stronger Niko had become when he was using this ability. Niko reassured him that with more practice he would get the hang of it.

With a sigh of irritation, Tobias dropped down to the ground, placing his hands on his lap. He wasn't contributing, and he wasn't improving either. How was he going to protect the Traveler, or fight the Fallen in this pitiful state? He had to at least learn something today…

"Say Niko," Tobias began, getting the attention of the Hunter. "Diana said that Warlock and Hunters use Blink differently. How do Hunter's blink?"

"That's kind of an odd question, but I guess I can take off my helmet to show you." Niko replied as he reached up to deactivate it.

"No no, I mean Blink as in the teleportation thing." Tobias interjected.

"Oh, well you didn't capitalize it." Niko pointed out with a shrug.

"Huh?" Tobias said.

"Niko, you're breaking the fourth wall here." His Ghost said to him.

"Never mind that." Niko said, shaking his head. "Anyway, why the interest in Blink?"

"You said you wanted to teach me something that I can use in our next fight. I suck at Arc Blade and Golden Gun, and I can't Blink the Warlock way yet, so I thought maybe you could show me the way Hunter's do it." Tobias explained to him.

"I bet Diana told you that Voidwalkers are the masters of Blink right?" Niko asked in him, getting a nod from Tobias. "Well that's a load of crap."

Tobias stifled a laugh. This really was hot debate between the two of them.

"So unlike Voidwalkers, we Hunters don't need any gimmicks to use Blink. Our Blink is built entirely off of our physical prowess, something Warlocks lack." Niko added snidely, a smirk concealed by his helmet. "Warlocks may actually _teleport_ using Blink, but Hunters can cover just as much ground in the same space of time."

"Awesome, so what do I have to do?" Tobias asked, and Niko seemed to perk up at this.

"This might actually work for you. It's just like how I told you to gather your Light for Arc Blade although for whatever reason it gets trapped in your arm. You just have to gather it in your feet for let it loose the moment you decide to move. You can close the distance between yourself and an enemy, just like that!" Niko exclaimed as he clapped his hands together audibly.

"So I just focus, on my feet." Tobias repeated as he looked down, stretching his toes a bit. Taking a short breath, he began gathering his power into his feet. It took a few moments, Tobias began to feel lighter. Like a feather, no, like he was floating! "And now I just take a ste-"

As Tobias took a step forward, he was suddenly several meters away from where he had just been standing. He had only, 'blinked', and suddenly he was here. Turning around to look back at Niko, Tobias felt a smile creep up on his face as the Hunter gave him a thumbs up.

"Pretty sweet right? Let me show you a couple of tricks to go with it." Niko said as he motioned for Tobias to come back to him.

* * *

Tobias was in the middle of his night watch over their small camp site. It wasn't much for them. Briggs' ship was resting down within the cover of a small canyon, but they still wanted a pair of eyes watching over the ship with the sun setting. Briggs and Niko had gone out to do some more scouting, expecting the Fallen to be more active at night than during the day. And Diana had been inside the ship completing some other task that Briggs had given her.

He had spent the morning with Niko. And around noon time Tobias was entrusted to Briggs. And in all the time had spent with Diana and Niko, Tobias had never come back exhausted. But just a few hours with Briggs and he was gassed.

 _"I'm sure Niko and Diana have explained how they wield the Light. But as a Titan, none of that applies." Briggs said sternly as he stood in front of Tobias. "They used the Light to create weapons. Titans use the Light on themselves, and become living weapons."_

Briggs was ruthless as a teacher. He wasn't easygoing like Diana or Niko. He held Tobias to the same standard that he held his teammates to despite his inexperience. Briggs explained everything to him just once. He demonstrated everything just once. He never repeated anything for Tobias.

In fact, Tobias was beginning to wonder if Briggs thought he was an Exo. As if he could store all of this information into his memory banks and recall it whenever he would need it. In the end Tobias could only shrug as he lay back on the ground underneath the ship, taking a moment to study its intricacies. But that quickly came to an end when the ship began to hum before the base opened up, allowing a ramp to extend down to the ground.

Rolling over onto his stomach, Tobias found himself right beneath the ramp, completely hidden from Diana who was coming off the ship.

"Hmm, I thought for sure Tobias would be out here. Maybe he went along with Iggy and Niko." Diana noted out loud as she began to walk off, heading toward the shore nearby. "Ghost, lock up the ship for me."

Tobias remained silent as he watched her go, jumping up to his feet once she was fair distance from him.

"Tobias, what are you sneaking around for?" A voice asked suddenly, causing Tobias to jump out of his skin. Whirling around, he discovered that it was Diana's Ghost who had found him.

"Oh, uh, nothing really. I haven't got much to do right now." Tobias replied as he looked in the direction Diana had gone.

"Do you want to know where she's going?" Her Ghost asked him curiously with a twinkle in its eye. Tobias was a bit taken a back at how observant this small thing was, but he could deny his curiosity. As far as he knew, Briggs has left them both orders to stick with the ship. "Follow me."

The small drone took the lead, guiding Tobias to the shore where he took a moment to admire the scenery. The moon was shining brilliantly tonight, reflecting off of the dark waters of the Forgotten Shore.

"There she is." Her Ghost noted, spotting Diana standing at the edge of the shore where the rocky coastline and the water met. The two of them watch silently as she raised a hand to the back of her neck, deactivating her helmet to so that she could feel the cool breeze on her face. Shaking her head a bit now that her hair was free, Diana ran a hand through her locks to loosen them out before she snapped her fingers.

Then she began to move, spinning on her toes so that her back was to the water. Tobias raised his eyebrows as his breath was stolen from him. At was almost as if Diana was sparkling in the moonlight as she moved, demonstrating some dazzling choreography. It was incredible to watch her as she moved, moving so freely with every step she took.

"Ahem." Diana's Ghost said, gaining Tobias' attention.

"Hmm?" He said in response.

"I suggest returning to your post Tobias. According to my sensors Briggs and Niko are returning to the ship, and Briggs is not a fan of someone who leaves their post." Diana's Ghost pointed out to him as it began to zip away, heading back for the jump ship.

"But what about Diana?" Tobias asked as he looked back at once more.

"Oh please, she's Briggs' favorite. The most she'll get is a slap on the wrist." Her Ghost commented in response, nodding itself as a motion for him to follow. "Since you're new there's no telling what Briggs might do to you though…"

"Oh, well I don't think I want to find out." Tobias muttered as he darted off as well, returning to his post.

Thankfully he made it back before Briggs and Niko had returned, giving him time to drop down onto the ground once again and lay back. He still didn't know the team well, but he was beginning to see why they were held with such high regard by the Guardians he had met in the Tower.

There was no denying that each of them was immensely skilled out on the battlefield. The Fallen whom Tobias could barely fight at the moment were nothing more than child's play to them. In fact, Niko and Diana had time to crack jokes at each other as they fought. Was this lifestyle really that easy for them?

Hearing the roar of a Sparrow, Tobias perked up and looked around, spotting two approaching lights in the distance. The radar within his helmet immediately identified them as Briggs and Niko for him who he greeted as they pulled up alongside him.

"We're back!" Niko called out as he jumped off his Sparrow. Briggs however remained silent as he took a few moments to expect the state of his jump ship. And eventually his gaze settled on Tobias who stood in front of it.

"I see everything is in order. I'll relieve you for now Tobias. Go get some rest." Briggs said as the ramp to the ship descended, granting Tobias access to the main chamber.

"Oh, thanks." Tobias said with a nod. He was still exhausted from training with Briggs. There was no way he was going to pass off an opportunity to get some sleep. Briggs watched as Tobias disappeared into the ship before he looked toward Niko.

"Do you want to go find something we can burn?" Briggs asked him, getting a nod from Niko.

* * *

Briggs, Diana and Niko were all seated around the small campfire that Niko had set up for them. There had been plenty of spinmetal around the area to keep the fire steady as they admired its colors. Silently they listened to the crackle as it burned, allowing themselves to relax for the time being.

"So…" Niko began, breaking the silence. "We've all had a chance to work with him now. What do you guys think?"

"Since you asked you might as well go first Niko." Diana said as he motioned for the Hunter to take the floor.

Now that each of them had-had their own private session with Tobias, they all had a fair amount of time to determine what he was capable of.

"The first thing that really stood out to me, is that he really can channel all types of the Light." Niko said, marveling at Tobias' ability. "I didn't think it was possible, but, he shut me up today."

Diana snorted at this. Niko always had a sharp tongue, similar to the Hunter Vanguard who had trained him. Tobias wasn't aware of it, but he had completed quite a feat.

"But even though he can channel any type of Light, I noticed that he has a lot of issues with Solar Light." Niko revealed. "I don't know, but he seems very uncomfortable using it."

"I noticed the same thing when he was channeling Arc Light. His level of control is all over the place." Briggs added, getting a nod of agreement from Niko.

"But he clearly has mastery over the Void." Diana pointed out. Diana had only seen him in action a few times now, but it was clear to her that he was a brilliant Voidwalker.

"That's true. He clearly favors the Void." Briggs agreed. Tobias was also superb when using the Ward of Dawn. "But for him to have such control over Void Light, but to struggle with the other two…it just, baffles me."

"Void Light is the toughest to control." Diana said with a small smirk as she looked toward Niko. "That's why Hunters don't use it."

"What was that Diana, I can't understand you with all that crap coming out of your mouth." Niko shot back.

"Like you're one to talk." Diana retorted while Briggs just stared at the two of them, expressionless as always.

"You two just can't resist taking stabs at each other." Briggs stated, shaking his head as he brought their little exchange to an end.

"It's all in good fun, right Diana?" Niko asked her sweetly.

"Of course Niko dear." Diana replied as the two of them gave Briggs some toothy smiles. The Titan only shook his head in response before refocusing the discussion.

"I think that, even with his struggles at the moment, Tobias' potential far outclasses all of ours combined." Briggs stated, causing the two of them to become serious once again.

"What makes you say that?" Niko inquired; surprised that Briggs would make such a statement.

"The most obvious reason you brought up Niko. He's capable of using the Light to its fullest. That alone makes him more versatile than any Guardian who's ever lived." Briggs acknowledged. "It doesn't matter how proficient we become with our abilities, having access to everything puts him on an entirely different level to the rest of us."

"Iggy's right. I mean, I'm only a Voidwalker. Both of you have two classes are your disposal. But Tobias could have five, or even six." Diana noted as she looked in up wonder. "He could really be something special. Could you imagine what it would be like if he masters every class? That would be amazing!"

"It's certainly a possibility. But Tobias has a long way to go." Briggs stated as he folded his arms in front of his chest.

"Yeah, no kidding. Did I tell you guys he can't even hold a Golden Gun?" Niko asked them, getting a chuckle out of his teammates at this. "But in all seriousness, I'm just going to hope for the best. I really want to see Tobias once he's got some more experience under his belt."

In all the decades Niko had spent as a Guardian, this would be something that he has never seen before. He couldn't wait!

Briggs' Ghost suddenly materialized in front of his face, staring straight at the Titan. But Briggs remained expressionless despite the surprise.

"Ikora Rey has sent out a distress beacon to all the Guardians in the area along with this message." His Ghost stated as it opened up its shell to replay the message that had accompanied this distress call.

"This is the Warlock Vanguard Ikora Rey. I requesting aid from any Guardians in the area. My team and I have uncovered the Silent Fang within the Cosmodrome Wall leading a force of Wolves." Ikora explained for them. "Petra Venj has already confirmed that they are targeting the House of Kings. We cannot allow a Fallen House to fall under Skolas' rule!"

"You've heard our orders, let's move out!" Briggs declared.

* * *

"Ugh, it's only been like five minutes." Tobias mumbled as he stretched a bit having been rudely awakened from his slumber. He was just starting to drift off into a deep sleep when his new teammates suddenly came storming onto the ship, calling for him to wake up as they disembarked for their next mission. "What's happening?"

"Ikora reported the presence of the Silent Fang within the Cosmodrome." Niko explained to him. "We're going in to take them out!"

"Who's the Silent Fang?" Tobias asked curiously. Their name sounded pretty cool.

"Among a Fallen House, there are special soldiers that work directly for the Kell. In the House of Wolves, they're a group of assassins who do all of Skolas' dirty work. And aside from Skolas himself, they're the most vicious and merciless members of the Wolves." Diana added.

Tobias only furrowed his brow in response. They had already told him that the House of Wolves was ruthless, yet the three of them were toying around with the opponents they had faced so far. They didn't seem dangerous at all. But then again, he had yet to have a taste of the real action…maybe this was his chance.

"Ikora, we're approaching the wall right now. Do you copy?" Briggs asked over the comm line, expecting a response from the Vanguard Mentor.

There was a brief moment of silence before some loud static broke out.

"This a very dangerous battlegrou-" The static cut her off for a few moments. "They have Servitors jamming our-"

"This is bad." Briggs stated. "They must have detected her distress beacon so now their jamming our communications with their Servitors. Gather what you can from what she says, because aside from that, we're going in blind."

"You'll be fighting in the dark-" Ikora continued. "-manders are present in the wall. Engage with caution-"

There wasn't much else they could understand from Ikora, except for the last thing she got out before her signal went down completely.

"Stick together Guardians!"

"Tobias, this isn't going to be like the last few battles we've had. I hope you're ready to fight and scrap this time." Briggs said as he took a moment to glance at Tobias. Their eyes met for a moment, and Briggs could see that Tobias wasn't shaken at all despite this recent development. Like he welcomed the thought of their approaching battle.

"Bring it."

 **Outer Wall**

 **Breach**

Tobias leaned back, looking straight up as a marveled at the enormous wall that loomed over him. It was incredible, stretching for miles in both directions. He could only imagine what such a large structure had been built for.

"Tobias you better hurry before we leave you behind." Niko called out to him as he waved him over. Following the faint silhouette he could see, Tobias joined up the rest of the fireteam.

"Alright, this is final prep. Are your weapons fully loaded?" Briggs asked as he began to go down the checklist for everyone. "The direct line of communication between our fireteam is still available to us despite the Servitors, so stay tuned to this channel for the time being."

"Right." Diana said with a nod while Briggs studied Tobias. Their newest team member was staring off into the distance.

"Tobias, are you alright?" Briggs asked him.

"Yeah." Tobias replied with a nod. Briggs continued to stare at Tobias though, causing both Niko and Diana to do the same.

"Does everyone have night vision enabled?" Briggs continued, receiving a nod from Niko and Diana.

"Wait, night vision?" Tobias asked as he tilted his head.

"Yeah, helps you see in the dark." Niko said with a chuckle.

"Thanks captain obvious." Diana muttered as she approached Tobias, placing a hand on his shoulder to push him down so that he was on eye level with her. "The interface for our gear was designed with the intention of Ghosts handling most of these duties. But Tobias doesn't have a Ghost."

"So you're looking for the manual override?" Briggs asked her as she placed her thumb on the side of Tobias' helmet.

"Whoa." Tobias exclaimed as the world suddenly turned green for him, but now he could clearly see his surroundings rather than relying on the moonlight.

"Tobias, were you going to inform us about this?" Briggs inquired as Tobias looked toward him, finally facing the rest of them.

"Well I thought it was like that for all of you." Tobias replied. He figured that through their many battles they were capable of fighting under any condition, even in total darkness.

"And this is exactly why you have teammates. To make sure everything is in order _before_ we go into battle." Briggs stated as he motioned for them to follow him he approached the entrance to the wall. It was small doorway although the door had been ripped out of hits hinges and cast aside. "Come on, let's get moving."

"What are we rushing for?" Niko asked since Briggs hadn't covered the entire checklist like he normally would.

"There's other fireteams entering the wall as we speak. I'd hate to miss out on the action." Briggs replied calmly as they began journeying up the stairway.

"Oh yeah, now we're talking!" Niko exclaimed. "You must be itching for a fight with how weak the Wolves at the Forgotten Shore were."

"That's one reason." Briggs stated as they continued up the stairwell, heading up to the higher levels of the wall. "Ghost, have you detected any enemy movements so far?"

Briggs' Ghost immediately took shape in front of them, illuminating the small area they were in.

"As you said, there are already a number of fireteams within the wall. Based on their movements I think it's clear that they've engaged the Wolves on the on the higher levels which is where we're headed." His Ghost explained, getting a nod of thanks from Briggs.

"Good. Set a course for the closest fireteam here. We'll meet with them to get a better understanding of the situation." Briggs stated as they arrived at the top of the stairwell, stepping out onto a small platform that acted as the entry way to the heart of the wall. The center of the wall had been hollowed out, and filled with scaffolding that hung from the walls and ceilings, as if the construction of this wall hadn't been completed. "Across the bridge."

Connected to the platform they had stepped onto was a long bridge that took them straight across to the other side of the wall.

"Be careful though, this bridge isn't the most stable because of the-" Briggs' Ghost began.

"Look, over there!" Niko exclaimed suddenly as all of them eyed the corridor on the other side of the bridge. They could see a female Guardian get knocked out onto the bridge, followed immediately by the snarl of a Captain as the beast stepped out onto the bridge as well, accompanied by a particularly large Vandal. Neither of them gave the Guardian a chance to recover as they hounded her, pinning her against the banister of the bridge which began swing back and forth in response.

"Come on, they might need our help!" Briggs barked as he took off in a sprint, racing toward the enemies. The rest of the followed as quickly as they could, maintaining their balance even as the bridge swung back and forth.

Putting his head down, and his shoulder out, Briggs charged straight at the Fallen Captain, slamming himself into its chest with such tremendous force that it was sent flying back into the corridor it had come from. The Vandal was clearly surprised by the sudden interference, allowing the Guardian to take advantage of this distraction. Slamming her palm into the Vandal's abdomen, she unleashed a blast of Void Light that sent it tumbling away in the same direction as its partner.

"Hah, thank you." She said with a sigh of relief, getting nod in response from Briggs as the rest of the team joined up with them.

"What happened to their rest of your fireteam?" Briggs asked her.

"They're dead." She replied in a deadpan. "Their Ghosts are in that corridor ahead. That pair of Fallen right there are no joke. They've already tore through a pair of fireteams."

"Dang man." Niko said softly.

"According to my database, they match the appearance of two targets from Petra's bounty list. Drevis the Wolf Baroness, and Grayor, the Wolf Assassin." Briggs' Ghost pointed out. That would explained the struggle against this pair. According to the information they had received from Petra, these two high ranking members of the Wolves along with one other had been hand selected from among the Silent Fang to become the commanders of this task force by Skolas. Only the strongest and most vicious members of these already dangerous assassins would be entrusted with such responsibility.

Straightening up, the Guardian took a step forward before wincing as she placed a hand on her side, covering the wound she had received fighting them.

"You're hurt." Diana noted as she studied her fellow Guardian.

"Tobias, take her back and have my Ghost check her wounds."

Tobias inhaled sharply at this, tightening his grip on the handle of his Proxima. There were two high value targets right in front of him. This was his big chance to see how he'd fare against a real threat, and once again he was being sent _away_ from the action. But…there was also a life on the line right now. No matter how much he wanted to fight, he couldn't ignore someone who was hurt.

"You got it." Tobias said as he offered the Guardian a hand to help her along. She only glanced at his hand for a moment before motioning for him to put it down.

"I'm not that weak." She responded as she turned to begin traveling across the bridge toward the side where Undaunted had come from. She walked with a bit of a limp, trying to ignore the pain that spiked through her torso with each step she took.

"Let's go!" Niko hollered as he sprung forward, pulling out his tanto as he moved to engage the Vandal that stood on the edge of the bridge. Diana and Briggs followed Niko, leaving Tobias to look at their backs as they charged into another fight without him. Taking a deep breath, Tobias then spun around to join the female Guardians as they went in the opposite direction.

But a piercing howl sent a chill down Tobias' spine as he whirled around to see what was happening. Diana, Niko and Briggs had pursued the two Silent Fang commanders into the connecting corridor, but the Baroness began screeching suddenly. A pair of vandals jumped down from above, landing on the end of the bridge where they blocked off Diana, Niko and Briggs, locking them into the corridor they had entered.

"What the?" Niko exclaimed as he turned to look at them. But the two Vandals had a different agenda at the moment. Drawing their wire rifles, the aimed them at the thickly coiled wires that held up the bridge. They fired their weapons, snapping the wires which whipped out wildly in response.

Tobias gasped as he suddenly felt the bridge disappear from beneath his feet. The Guardian shrieked as the two of them began to plummet down into the depths of the wall.

"Tobias!" Diana shouted in disbelief that-that had happened so quickly. Before she could try to act though the two Vandals cut her off, readying their weapons for the fight.

"Focus Diana, we have to win this fight here." Briggs stated as he motioned for her to focus on her opponents. "Tobias can take care of himself, I know that much."

* * *

"Gosh, you're really heavy!" The female Guardian muttered as she strained herself, tightly gripping Tobias by his forearm.

They had been free falling for just a few moments before Tobias found himself in the care of the Guardian that he was supposed to be taking care of. She had managed to take a hold of him midair stop their descent by a means that Tobias didn't quite understand. He could feel a sudden burst of energy from her before they slowed down, gradually approaching the ground floor. Although the extra weight from Tobias was dragging them down faster than she wanted to go.

"Get ready to hit something!" She called out for Tobias. And just as she had said, they eventually hit the floor. Tobias had soundly landed on his stomach, and would also act as a landing pad for the Guardian who had saved him.

"Thanks for the save." Tobias said as she rolled off of him, breathing deeply. "Are you okay?"

"Don't mention it." She replied, waving off his thanks. "I'm spent though."

"Right, we were supposed to get you checked out before the bridge fell. But now Diana's Ghost is all the way back up there." Tobias noted as he looked up. Even with the night vision, he still struggled to see where they had fallen from.

"Actually, I'm already with you." A voice said, causing the two of them to look around in search of the source. Diana's Ghost took shape in front of them. "The moment Diana gave me the order to join you, I transferred myself to you."

"Well at least something is going our way." Tobias mumbled as he rose to his feet, glad that he at least had a guide.

"Wait, something's approaching you guys!" Ghost declared as they felt a small gust of wind. Tobias glanced around, but there multiple corridors leading to the room they were in.

"Behind you!" The Guardian shouted, but it was already way too late for Tobias to react. Tobias received a heavy blow to his side with so much force behind it that it ripped him from the floor and threw him clean across the room. Crashing into the wall, Tobias grunted before he dropped to the floor with a thud.

That hit really hurt, even with the armor that he was on. But a shriek from the Guardian he was pair with forced him to rise up in a hurry. Looking up, he could see that their attacker was a Fallen Captain, and for the first time, Tobias felt his heart racing as he stared at the beast. It was huge and burly in comparison the Guardian who it held by her neck with just one of its hands. Gasping the, the Guardian raised one hand, trying to summon a weapon from her Ghost, but the Captain took a hold of her forearm and snapped it before she could fight back. The pain she was experiencing though was completely forgotten as the Captain began to squeeze down on her windpipe mercilessly.

"No!" Tobias roared as he charged at the Captain. But his efforts were fruitless. The Captain swatted him away with one arm once he got close, sending him skidding away on the floor. Feeling shaky from this hit, Tobias could only look up to watch as the Captain crushed the neck of the Guardian. Her body went limp in its hand before it tossed her aside, much to Tobias' horror as it set its sights on him.

He was next!

"Focus Guardian, or your fate will be the same as hers!" Diana's Ghost called out to him. But this plea fell on deaf years. Tobias' heart was pounding and his mind was in a fog.

He had been so eager to fight not even five minutes ago. But his stomach dropped at the sight of the dead Guardian across the room from him. This wasn't like all the other times, where he had one of the members of Undaunted there to quickly correct the situation. He wasn't strong enough, and he was alone.

'I'm…going to die.' The realization was bone chilling as Tobias crumbled under the pressure.

Three days. That's how long he had been alive. Three days ago he had woken up on Diana's ship. Three days since he had met with the Speaker. A two days since he fought in the Crucible. One day since he had officially joined Undaunted on the field.

 _"I knew that he was a great hero, and of his many great talents on the battlefield…"_

Some hero…

Even though his vision was unfocused, he could see the corpse of the Guardian who he had failed to protect. His first assignment as a Guardian was to have her wounds checked out. Now she was dead. He had only been training for a day now, but if he had fought with even a sliver of that training, that Guardian would still be alive. This was, unacceptable!

"Guardian!" Diana's Ghost shouted at Tobias as he rose to his feet. The Captain lunged at him now, raising one of its massive hands and stretching out his fingers to show off its claws.

Tobias could only hear a white nose as the world seemed to slow down around him. He couldn't go out this way! Even though it was only a few people, they had already invested time and energy into him. It would all be going to waste if he died in such a pathetic way!

His gaze became sharp as he focused on the Captain that was already in front him, thrusting its arm toward him to palm his head and likely crush it. Raising one hand, Tobias managed to intercept the Captain's attack, using his forearm to steer away this strike from his head. The Captain quickly realized that it had missed though, and was prepared to follow up with another attack.

 _"Heighten your senses to the highest degree."_

The Captain spun, raising its leg to throw out a roundhouse kick at Tobias' neck. But he had no trouble reading the movements of the Captain. It was moving so slowly. He had all the options in the world at the moment. He could block the kick with his forearm, but the Captain was still strong them him, so that might not end so well. Ducking sounded like the best idea. Dropping low to the ground, Tobias fell beneath the attack before sweeping the Captain off the one leg it stood on, clearly catching it off guard. It couldn't even respond as he thrusted his palm into its chest.

The Captain was sent spiraling away into the wall on the opposite of the room, leaving Diana's Ghost in awe as it watched. Where was all of this coming from?!

Tobias remained crouched on the floor, reaching for the tanto that was strapped to the back of his belt.

 _"Are you sure you want to give this to me? I can't even use Arc Blade properly, so what's the point?" Tobias asked Niko as they stood in the main chamber of Briggs' jump ship, approaching the outermost wall of the Cosmodrome._

 _"You may be the worst Hunter I've ever met, but you never know what could happen out in the field. Who knows, you might be desperate at some point and need to pull something out of your ass." Niko stated, causing Diana to cringe._

 _"As if you couldn't make it sound any worse Niko." Diana said to him, getting a chuckle in response from him as he placed the weapon in Tobias' hands. Looking up at Niko, the Hunter gave him a wink for reassurance._

'I can do this.' Tobias said to himself. Removing it from the sheath, he summoned all of the Light that he could, feeling the power well up within his chest. But a thought ran through his mind.

 _"We use the Light on ourselves and become living weapons."_

Briggs had said this as he introduced Tobias to the abilities used by Titans. Niko had taught him about manipulating the Light to enhance his weapons. But Arc Blade required that he do both!

Taking in a deep breath, Tobias began to channel the Light through his blood stream. The power that he had felt building in his chest began to course through his veins, traveling throughout his entire body. He felt powerful, as if just taking a step would make the earth move beneath him. Tobias felt a smirk form on his face as he raised the tanto, eager to see what this glowing blade was capable of.

Diana's Ghost observed in bewilderment as Tobias had perfectly replicated Arc Blade. This was far from what Niko reported. Tobias burst forward, racing toward the Captain with his newfound speed, readying his blade to attack. The Captain had barely gotten back to its feet before its eyes became wide at the sight of Tobias rushing toward it. With a howl it raised an arm to defend itself, but Tobias easily bypassed this small defense and pinned the Captain against the wall with the blade in its torso.

The Captain gave a pained roar as Tobias spun the blade, releasing a pulse of Arc Light. The Captain began to tremble before it threw its head back; its body becoming bright blue before it was vaporized, vanishing completely from right in front of him.

Tobias exhaled as relief washed over him. Turning around, he put his back against the wall as he finally began to feel his legs shaking. But he had done it. He had beaten a Captain all on his own.

"Nice work Guardian!" Ghost exclaimed as it hovered over him. "Now quick, if you hurry, we can still collect the Ghost of the other Guardian."

Tobias remained silent though, listening to his heart as it thumped loudly. It had been blasting in his ears just a few moments ago, but now that the tension was starting to disperse, he could hear his surroundings again. All he could think about was this small victory over the Captain. He had come so close to giving up and accepting death, but somehow he had prevailed. Was this what all of the Guardians were going through? Their lives were constantly in danger, and every threat could kill them instantly. But it was…kind of fun. Tobias closed his free hand into a tight fist which he hit against his chest a few times.

"Whoo!" He hollered at the top of lungs, his shout echoing.

"Guadian!" Ghost said sharply, getting his attention.

"What!?" Tobias shouted in return before shaking his head. He was in the clouds, but slowly coming back down to earth.

"I said, you have to collect the Ghost of the Guardian who just died."

"What for?" Tobias asked as he Arc Blade faded, returning him to his normal stature.

"If a Guardian is killed, they can be brought back provided we obtain their Ghost and its Light isn't drained." Ghost explained to him.

"Wait, so she's not dead?"

"I believe the correct answer is, not yet."

"Awesome, let's do this." Tobias said as he returned the tanto to its sheath before rushing over to the body of the Guardian. But he was shocked to see that her lower body was missing, and her torso was gradually disappearing. "What's happening to her?"

"Her physical form will fade away. Her Ghost has been housing itself in her for protection at the moment. Once you retrieve it, we'll be able to restore her form with the help of another Guardian." Ghost explained as her upper body disappeared completely, revealing the Ghost who had been hidden within her head. Placing his hands around the small drone, it looked up at him, studying him intently with its optics before it vanished.

"What the?" Tobias exclaimed, looking around in search for the Ghost.

"It's okay; it's inside of you now." Diana's Ghost stated.

"Alright, let's get to work on bringing her back then." Tobias said as he rose to his feet.

"I wouldn't advise that in our current position." Ghost replied.

"Huh, why not?"

"Based on your short history with us; I think it's safe to assume you've never revived a dead Guardian." Diana Ghost stated.

"Uh, no I haven't." Tobias said slowly.

"It takes time to learn how to provide a Ghost with enough Light to revive their Guardian. We're already in a tight spot at the moment, especially since you were shouting like a maniac just now so I'm sure the Fallen are moving in on our location." Ghost said, and right on cue the hold of a group of Vandals proved that the enemy was closing in on them.

"My bad." That was all he could come up with.

"Indeed. But for now, we have to find a way back to the rest of the fireteam."

"Right." Tobias said with a nod of agreement as Ghost began to move, leading him toward one of the corridors.

"She's a long way up from us. It's going to be difficult to get back up there with the Fallen tailing us." Ghost informed him. "I think we should follow Briggs' plan and meet up with another fireteam rather than moving alone."

"Sounds like a plan. Point me in the direction of the closest fireteam." Tobias stated.

"Well actually, the closest fireteam is another solo Guardian." Ghost pointed out. "And it appears that this lonely Guardian is Ikora Rey."

"I-kora." Tobias said, trying to attach a face to the name. "Have I met this person before?"

"Yeah, you did. She's one of the Vanguard Mentors, the best looking one in my opinion." Ghost replied. "Not that she has much to compete with."

"She's alone now?"

"It looks like she's locked in a tough fight. She'll probably need back up and with her help we'll have no trouble getting back to Diana."

* * *

A/N

Right now I'm just kind of following the Destiny canon that we have in game, and putting a little twist on it, you know, a little spice. Like this chapter was based on the 'The Silent Fang' and 'Ruling House' missions. But I have plans that go far and beyond what we have in game that I can't wait to get to, including lots of theories about subjects that aren't really covered in game. So until then my fellow Guardians, I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next time!


	5. Seeing the Sunrise

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Ikora Rey was strong. She never gave this much thought, be she knew it. Many Guardians had seen her heroics on the battlefield, and Shaxx still brought up thrashing she had given him in the Crucible from time to time. Her feats were recognized by the Vanguard, and she received the duty of instructing new Warlocks.

Even though she devoted a large amount of her time to teaching, she kept her skills sharp. But it had been a while now since she had last been out on the field, and the rush was beginning to rear its ugly head.

Gasping as she leapt back from her opponent, Ikora grasped her side which had been grazed by the blade of her enemy. Yavek, a Wolf Baron that was near the top of Petra's bounty list. She and her fireteam and stumbled onto the Baron earlier, and it proved to be one of the toughest and most ruthless foes she had ever encountered. She was just barely keeping up with the Baron.

Ikora was at a huge disadvantage trying to fight in the darkness. The light from her Ghost was ineffective against the cloaking that Yavek was using, and her senses were rusty, making it a struggle for her to track this Baron with her eyes and ears. The Baron remained silent as it rushed at Ikora again, wielding dual sabers with the clear intention to cut her down.

Ducking below its first swipe, Ikora continued to retreat as she tried to think of a way to level the playing field. Yavek was faster and stronger than her, and it was clever enough to keep attacking from her blind spots.

"Ghost, I need my fusion rifle!" Ikora called out as she threw down a Solar grenade to halt Yavek's next approach. Stopping in front of the Solar grenade, Yavek jumped away to keep its distance from the flames. Ikora then raised her hands, receiving the weapon she had called for which she then fired at her target. The burst of blue energy bolts exited the barrel of the fusion rifle, dashing away the flames from the Solar grenade as they raced toward Yavek.

Diving to its left to avoid this attack, Yavek barrel rolled for a moment before it came to a stop on its feet with a snarl. It then reactivated its cloaking, vanishing from Ikora's sight. Glancing around the room, Ikora tightened her grip on her fusion rifle as she quickly checked her blind spots. Listening closely, she could hear the Baron as it took a deep breath before attacking her again.

Yavek pounced at her from her left, one of its blades raised which Ikora blocked with the side of her fusion rifle. But the impact from this sent her stumbling backward due to the Baron's superior strength as it continued its attack, jumping at her again. Raising both its swords this time, Yavek was prepared to drop down them down onto each of Ikora's shoulders and sever her arms, but the Warlock was quick enough to side step this attack. Slamming its blades against the floor, Yavek quickly realized it had missed, but there was still an opportunity to strike. Releasing its hold on its swords, Yavek placed its hands on the ground and turned, lashing out with its leg at Ikora.

Ikora gasped as she received a fierce blow to her torso which sent her flying across the room. Hitting the wall, Ikora felt her chest become tight as the wind was knocked out of her. Slumping to the floor, Ikora struggled to look up where she could see Yavek snatch its swords from the floor and rush at her once again, aiming for kill blow this time. With a howl the beast raised its weapons, lunging at her.

Ikora looked up as Yavek neared her, a chill running down her spine, but a stream of flames pierced through the air, intercepting Yavek just in time to save Ikora. The fire hit Yavek's upper right forearm, burning it away completely while knocking the Baron away from the Warlock Vanguard. Yavek snarled as it tumbled away from Ikora whose head snapped to the side in search of her savior.

"Yeah that's right, back up!" A deep voice hollered at the Baron.

It was a Titan…that held a flaming pistol.

'A Titan with Golden Gun? That couldn't be…Tobias?" She thought before shaking her head. She had more pressing matters. Looking back toward Yavek, she could see that the Baron was still resting on its side, clearing in pain from losing one of its limbs. She couldn't let this fight proceed any longer.

Summoning all of her remaining strength, Ikora forced herself to her feet and raised both her hands above her head. A flame sparked in between her hands before she threw her arms down with a shout, causing her entire body to become igniting a brilliant orange glow.

By now Yavek had already gotten back on its feet, holding its second saber in one of its lower arms. With a short breath, Ikora rushed at Yavek, but seeing that the Warlock was on the attack now, Yavek reactivated its cloaking to vanish from her sight, but this didn't deter Ikora. She didn't have any time to waste with Radiance active. She began to throw Solar grenades at the floor, bathing the room in flames as she quickly trapped Yavek into a corner.

Yavek's cloaking shut down from the surrounding heat as Ikora now jumped at her target who raised its blade, ready to engage her as well. Aiming to slam her palm into its torso, Yavek chopped down on Ikora's wrist with its third hand before raising its saber to swing it at her neck. Raising her forearm, intercepted this attack but Yavek didn't stop. Using its free hand now, it swung its arm into Ikora's torso, but she responded by grasping onto Yavek's arm and holding it against her body which quickly began to burn away at the Baron's flesh.

Yavek howled in pain, raising its next arm to swing it next saber at Ikora since both of her arms were occupied, but the Baron's eyes became wide as its blade shattered after hitting Ikora's shoulder. Her Radiant Skin had destroyed the saber on impact.

"This is my win." Ikora stated as she drew in both her arms and thrusted her palms into Yavek's torso. She then pushed forward with all her might, pinning the Baron against the wall where it groaned softly for a moment before going limp. Its entire body went up in flames as Ikora cast it aside, stepping away from the corpse of her enemy.

Tobias stood in awe at the ability Ikora had just put on display. She had turned this small room into a fire bit and wasted that Baron with just her hands alone. That was incredible!

"Thanks for your help Guardian." Ikora said as she approached him. "With only three arms it was much easier to fight that Baron at close range."

"Uh, that was no problem." Tobias said as he was pulled out of his thoughts. "But um, what was that thing you did there at the end?"

"Radiance. It's a special ability used only by Sunsingers." She replied, surprising Tobias.

"Is that the group that uses Solar Light?" He asked now, recalling what Diana had said about Warlocks and Solar Light.

"Indeed it is."

"Diana mentioned this in passing, but is there any reason some Warlocks aren't allowed to use Solar Light?"

Ikora raised her eyebrows at his curiosity. Tobias was inquisitive, like any other Warlock. Motioning for him to follow her, Ikora exited the room, heading into a dark corridor which lit only by her Ghost. As they walked, Tobias could see various slashes and scorch marks on the floor and walls, realizing that Ikora had been struggling here for a while.

"You want to learn the song of the sun?" Ikora asked as she looked back at him.

"Huh?" Tobias said.

"Are you trying to learn how to wield Solar Light?" Ikora asked him again.

"Yeah, I mean I'd like to. I'm not very good with it though." Tobias noted, getting a soft chuckle from her.

"I can tell." She said. '"But the song of the sun is one only a few can hear. It's one only a few can voice. And it's even fewer can survive.'"

Tobias remained silent, waiting to see if she would continue.

"Even though the Light inhabits everything around us, there is a cost for the Guardians to draw out this power. Bladedancers tire easily from the physical strain of Arc Blade. Voidwalkers can become lost in the Void if they are careless. Once learn the song of the sun, you will discover that you can burn away what lies in the shadows. It shreds the Darkness like no other weapon. But to gain such power involves a perilous journey." Ikora explained.

"It sounds like all of them are pretty dangerous to learn and use if you ask me." Tobias noted, getting a nod from Ikora.

"Point taken. However, I'm not the one who determines when a Warlock can learn the song of the sun. The Praxic Order are the ones who decide who is, and isn't ready." Ikora replied.

"And who are those guys?"

"An old Warlock Order. Unlike, _any,_ other Warlock, they believe only in fighting. They don't seek to understand our opponents to find the best means to defeat them, but would rather fight blindly. I'm not a fan of their beliefs, but I'm not in any position to question them." Ikora went on. "The most I can tell you for now is that the principals that you understand to use Golden Gun are similar to the technique used for Radiance."

Tobias gave her a nod of thanks. He didn't want her to do anything that would put her out of place, so he would take this small hint and run with it.

"For now though, I would recommend practicing. If Cayde ever saw you get only one shot out of a Golden Gun, he'd never let you hear the end of it." Ikora commented with a chuckle as the two of them entered another room. Tobias could see that there were three bodies laid out around the room, all of which Ikora approached an examined. As she placed a hand on each of them, they faded away, allowing her to collect the Ghost that had been hidden within them.

'Was this her team?' Tobias wondered.

"This was the team I had joined, in case you were wondering." Ikora said almost immediately. "Just that one Baron had done a number on us. Fortunately I can bring them all back, but it's surprising. The Darkness is growing stronger. This is why I don't agree with the Praxic Order. Now more than ever is a time where we need to understand our enemies."

Tobias could understand the point that she was trying to make, giving her a nod of agreement.

"Understanding our enemy, our victory will never be in jeopardy." Ikora said as she looked up, quoting something she had seen in the Warlock Halls. "That quote predates the Golden Age, yet it's still relevant to this very moment in time."

Ikora then looked toward Tobias.

"To my understanding you can channel any sort of Light, correct?" Ikora asked him.

"…Yeah." Tobias replied slowly.

"That is a great deal of power you'll possess one day. Don't let it cloud your judgment though. Possessing great power, and knowing your enemy's weakness is what will lead to our victory." Ikora said to him as she motioned for him to follow her once again.

* * *

Drevis lashed out at Briggs with its sharp claws, aiming to tear the Titan's head off of his neck. Briggs ducked beneath this attack and drove his fist in the abdomen of the Baroness, but it didn't even flinch from the blow. Briggs then put some distance between himself and Drevis, avoiding another swipe from it.

Briggs had the edge in speed as observed Drevis who raised its shrapnel launcher. None of his attacks had been effective so far, although he wasn't really trying to defeat Drevis. The Baroness began to fire its weapon at Briggs who effortlessly dodged the projectiles. He had been fighting the Fallen for decades and dodging fire from their shrapnel launchers was routine for him.

He had been separated from Niko and Diana earlier as they fought the lesser Baron that was accompanying Drevis. His only intention right now was to draw out their duel while he waited for Diana and Niko to return to him. Not to mention his fight here had been nothing more than a stalemate. His ammunition was going to waste trying to break down the force field Drevis was using, but his physical attacks could get through, not they were doing much.

But it seemed as though Drevis finally realized that Briggs had been prolonging their fight. Putting away its weapon, Drevis took a step backward as a gang of Vandals entered the room. With a snort, Briggs looked around at the group that now surrounded him. This was going to get messy.

The Vandals didn't waste a moment as they swarmed him, attacking from all sides. Blocking an attack using his forearm, Briggs grabbed onto the arm of the Vandal that had lashed out at him and snatched it off the floor with is incredible strength. Swinging the Vandal around, he hurled it into a pair of that had been approaching from the opposite side, knocking them away. Glancing over his shoulder, Briggs could see a Vandal dashing toward him with a saber raised to attack him. Readying one arm, Briggs spun and cocked his fist back to throw out a devastating haymaker at the Vandal who had rushed at him, smashing his fist right into its face.

The Vandal was sent flying backward now from the blow, straight into the far wall of the room before it crumpled to the ground, remaining motionless. There was no way that one would be getting back up anytime soon. Briggs had spent a moment admiring how far he had sent that Vandal with one punch, a moment that he should've spent pulling his arm back in rather than leaving it full extended.

Drevis dropped down beside him, its arm raised for it to chop down onto his bicep. Briggs' optics widened as Drevis cut straight through his arm, throwing it to the floor before it raised another hand to hit Briggs in the torso.

How could he have been so careless?!

Catching Drevis' attacking arm, Briggs called forth the Void Light which gathered around him before expanding into a protective dome around him. Drevis didn't stop though as it raised another hand to slam its elbow into Briggs' side but the Titan was unaffected by the blow. Within the protection of his Ward of Dawn, Briggs' defense had increased tenfold. Briggs then tightened the grip he had on one of Drevis' arms, refusing to allow it to leave his Ward of Dawn.

"Now, you're on my turf." Briggs said as he spun around, placing Drevis' arm on top of his shoulder now. With all his might he pulled, tearing Drevis of its feet to throw it over his body, head first into the floor. The head of the Baroness was smashed through the floor while its body remaining upright for a moment. Briggs took a step back during a moment of silence, the Drevis snarled as it placed its hands and feet on the floor to rip its head free from the now broken panel.

But just as soon as Drevis had a chance to look up with its head free, it met with Briggs' remaining elbow. Dropping himself onto Drevis, Briggs smashed its head into the floor once again, this time sending its whole body through the hole, down to the level beneath them. Briggs scrambled to keep himself from falling through as well, but as he looked around he noticed all of the Vandals that were staring at him, ready to reengage him.

Then he heard a snarl which returned his attention to the hole he had just smashed Drevis through.

"Crap." He muttered as he took a step away from Drevis as it began to climb through the hole. He was hoping for just a few moments to take care of the Vandals, but this would be difficult with only one arm now. But before Drevis could full climb through the hole it was suddenly yanked back down to the floor below, leaving Briggs a bit surprised.

"Hah!" He heard Diana shouted as she slammed the Baroness to the ground below. With a smirk, Briggs gave himself a small nod at the impeccable timing of his teammates. He could relax knowing that they were here now. But clearly the Vandals that surrounded him thought differently as they charged at the Titan.

* * *

"Damn Diana, talk about no mercy!" Niko exclaimed as he looked around at what remained of the room they had fought Drevis in. There was clear evidence of Diana's almost excessive use of Void Light around the room. Parts of the walls and ceiling were missing, having been eaten away by the Void Light.

Niko had taken down Drevis' force field, allowing Diana to unleash all of the Void Light she could muster onto the Baroness, obliterating it completely. Nothing was left back, not even a bit of fabric from the cloak Drevis had been wearing.

In all of the time Niko had seen Diana fight, he had never seen her so ferocious. She wouldn't even give Drevis a chance to try and protect itself. With every attack, she followed up with another one until the Baroness had been sent to oblivion.

With how many attacks it had taken to finish of Drevis, Niko could see why it held such a high rank among the Wolves. It was by far the most skilled, durable and deceptive member of the Fallen race he had seen. But in the end, it was still something that couldn't stand up to the Guardians.

"Iggy, are you alright up there?!" Diana called out as she jumped up through one of the holes in the ceiling, joining Briggs in the room above. As she landed on her feet, she found the Exo seated on top of a pile of Vandals, sparks flying from his severed arm as his Ghost inspected the damage.

"Damn, no mercy up here either." Niko exclaimed as he looked around the room. Besides the Vandals Briggs was resting on, their bodies were scattered around the room.

"This was nothing." Briggs stated as they approached him.

"I beg to differ." His Ghost replied. "It'll take at least few hours for me to construct and attach a new arm for you."

"You've brought me back from worse." Briggs said to his Ghost.

"That I have." It noted with a small nod.

"You know I could just kill him and bring him back to save you the trouble." Niko suggested with a chuckle as he drew his hand cannon, spinning the weapon on his finger.

"There's no need for that." Briggs stated as he gave Niko a sharp glance, causing the Hunter to put away his weapon. "Besides, if you're going to kill me, it's going to be a duel to the death where I have _both_ of my hands. I wouldn't give you the pleasure of a cheap victory."

"Heh, now we're talking." Niko said with a clap.

"Anyway, we've eliminated two of the Wolves' Commanders. We should focus on establishing contact with Tobias." Diana said, getting a nod from them.

"That's just a start. There's still a matter of our communications being jammed by the Servitors." Briggs began before his Ghost split its shell to begin relaying a message to the fireteam.

"-Sevitors in…wall." The message was filled with static at first, but it quickly became clear as the Guardian continued to speak. "I repeat, we've found and eliminated the Servitors within the wall. Our comms are back online! Does anyone copy?"

"We hear you loud and clear!" Fireteams all over the wall began to relay their positions and status so that they could begin to chase out what remained of the Wolves.

"This is Briggs-6 checking in for fireteam Undaunted. We've engaged and eliminated the Wolf Baroness Drevis, and the Wolf Assassin Grayor." Briggs declared.

"This is Ikora Rey. My team and I have defeated Yavek the third Wolf Commander leading their force. It seems as though their commanding officers have fallen. Press the offensive Guardians, and send them packing!"

"Well you heard the woman; we've got some ass kicking to do!"

* * *

The sun peeked over the horizon, much to the delight of the Guardians as they stood on the top of the Cosmodrome Wall, staring out into the distance. They had emerged victorious from the battle in the night. Even though the Fallen held a critical advantage in the dark, the Guardians had fought back brilliantly, eliminating their commanders which left their forces crippled and unorganized.

As the Guardians chased off the last of the Wolves, a detachment of Titans had arrived from the City to clear out anything that remaining. By the time the skies began to light up, the Fallen had retreated from the wall.

"Excellent work tonight Guardians. The City will stand for another day." Ikora said as she congratulated the Guardians on their job well done.

Tobias was among the crowd, patiently waiting beside Diana's Ghost as it worked to bring back the female Guardian that had been killed earlier.

"Alright, that should do it!" Diana's Ghost exclaimed as it as the other Ghost flashed. The body of its Guardian materialized around it which Tobias caught and set down on the ground. She lay motionless for a few moments, and then she shot up grasping her neck. She looked around frantically before she realized that she was no longer in danger.

"Wha-what happened? How long have I been gone?" She asked as Tobias felt his chest become tight. It was really was the same Guardian. He never would've imagined that he would've seen her again after seeing the Captain toss her lifeless body aside.

"Just a few hours. It's good to have you back Guardian." Diana's Ghost said to her delightfully.

"And I suppose I have you to thank for it, right?" She asked as she looked toward Tobias.

"I guess you could say that." Tobias said with a small chuckle, placing a hand on the back of his neck.

"There's no need to be modest Tobias." Diana's Ghost said as it nudged his side a bit. "That's not a common practice among the Guardians."

"I see, so your name is Tobias." She noted before extending a hand toward him. "I'm Anari."

They shook hands, and then she deactivated her helmet. The headpiece quickly broke apart, receding to a point on the back of her neck which revealed her face to him. She was light skinned brunette, appearing to be in her early twenties, not that age really mattered among the Guardians. But Tobias furrowed his eyebrows as their gaze met. Her eyes…they were blank. As if they had no soul.

"Are you okay?" Tobias asked as his helmet receded as well, allowing her to see his actual appearance.

"What do you mean?" She asked in return.

"Your eyes, they don't have any…life in them." He commented.

"Well that's a wonderful observation." Anari said as she gave Tobias a narrow glance.

"I didn't mean any harm by that, it's just…" Tobias trailed off in search of the words to express his concern.

"Don't worry, you're not the first person to say that." Anari said as she ran a hand through her hair to straighten out her long locks. "When you've been fighting as long as I have, you sort of become, desensitized."

Tobias didn't say a word as he watched her. She looked out at the sun as it rose from the horizon out ahead of them, admiring it for a moment.

"I've been around since the Battle of Twilight Gap. I was there on Mars to see Undaunted go into the Black Garden and destroy it. I fought against Crota's armies with everyone else. And I saw Undaunted jump into the Hellmouth to take down Crota. I've been through it all, and after a while…it just started to feel like we weren't making any progress. Every time we win, a stronger enemy appears and the fighting gets worse. It's just, _hopeless_." She explained to him. "Sometimes, I think it might better to just die and finally have my Light consumed by the Darkness. It would save me some trouble."

She gave Tobias a pained smile, getting a frown from him in response.

"But don't you want to see what's going to happen when the Darkness is finally beaten?" Tobias asked her.

"It's always been here though. Most Guardians don't know life without it. A world without the Darkness…? I couldn't even begin to imagine it." She began as she looked up in thought. "I mean, would _we_ even exist? If there's no threat to the Traveler, then there wouldn't be a need for the Guardians. And since we're all dead…"

She trailed off, leaving Tobias to finish the rest on his own. Almost every Guardian had been reanimated by the Light. But if they didn't need to protect the Traveler, that they very well may return to being dead. No matter how great their heroics were, their accomplishments and contributions to defeating the Darkness wouldn't have any effect on their lives this conflict came to an end. This fight was almost meaningless to them on personal level.

Tobias glanced around, observing the other Guardians that were bragging about what they had done during the battle within the wall. They were all smiling and chatting away with one another. It was hard to keep in mind that all of these people here were actually dead.

"What if…there was a way for all us, to be brought back to life?" Tobias asked her.

"Hah." Anari said before covering her mouth with a small blush of embarrassment. "Sorry…it's just that I don't think any of that is possible."

"Well I don't see why not. We can live forever right now. So we have all the time in the world, and I'm sure someone will figure out a way for us to keep living even if our life as Guardians comes to an end." Tobias said to her.

Anari snorted a bit, shooting him a small but genuine smile this time. Tobias was more optimistic than she would've thought. Tobias though, couldn't help but think with positivity at the moment. He had seen Anari die at the hands of a Fallen Captain, yet here he was speaking with her again. If the Guardians could come back to life, than anything was possible!

"If someone does figure it out, make sure you let me know." She said to him.

"Count on it."

"Tobias!" A female voice called out to him, gaining his attention. Turning a bit, he spotted Diana coming toward them.

"Hey~, Diana." Tobias said as he gave her a wave.

"Ikora told me you were around here." She said before looking at Anari. "And this must be that Guardian you took with you earlier. I'm so glad you guys made out of that in one piece."

"Why thank you, although it's thanks to Tobias really." Anari said, causing Diana to give him a look of surprise.

"Really?" Diana exclaimed, getting a nod from Anari. "You're going to have to fill me in on the details later Tobias."

Diana then took a hold of Anari's wrist, leading her through the crowd of Guardians.

"Wait, where are we going?" Anari asked her.

"We found the Ghosts of your fireteam. Our fireteam leader is bringing them back right now." Diana explained to her.

" _Really_?" It was Anari's turn to be surprised now.

"For real. They should be waiting for you right here." Diana said as they broke free from the crowd where they found their two fireteams seated together.

"Anari!" Her teammates bellowed as they jumped to their feet to greet her. Diana and Tobias stood back as they watch the three of them get reunited, embracing each other. They then began to thank the members of Undaunted for bringing them back together.

"So it looks like everything worked out." Briggs said as he and Niko joined Diana and Tobias.

"Yup, all in a day's work for this Hunter." Niko said as he tapped his chest.

"You didn't do a damn thing Niko." Diana commented with a sneer. Niko scoffed at this.

"You didn't hear my moral support?" He asked her.

"Oh, is that what that was?" Diana said with a smirk, causing Tobias to stifle a laugh.

"So how were things after you got separated from us?" Briggs asked Tobias as he now stood beside him.

"It was alright." Tobias replied as he shrugged his shoulders.

" _Alright_?" Diana 's Ghost said as it appeared between them. "Don't listen to him Briggs. He was incredible. First he defeated a Captain using Arc Blade, and then he rescued Ikora with Golden Gun!"

"You used both of them successfully?!" Niko said, his attention now firmly directed at Tobias with this news.

"I wouldn't say, _successfully."_ Tobias began sheepishly.

"If you're alive than it was good enough." Briggs stated as he gave Tobias a pat on the shoulder.

"And I'm sure Ikora appreciates your 'good enough' as well." Diana's Ghost chirped.

"Yeah, good man!" Niko said as he gave Tobias a slap on the back which caused him to stumble forward from Niko's strength.

Tobias shot Diana's Ghost a narrow glance before it vanished. The small drone spun a tale to make it sound like he had mastered both Golden Gun and Arc Blade. He was still very, very far from that. He had just managed to string together some luck to make sure he didn't die during the night.

"So now what?" Diana asked as she looked toward Briggs, waiting for their next order.

There was a moment of silence as they realized that even though they had stopped the Wolves for now, this House was still scattered all over the Cosmodrome, and they still posed a threat to the City.

"We've had our time to enjoy this small victory, but I foresee the Wolves attacking again in the future. The loss of the Silent Fang will surely make the Wolves think twice about their next move, so we have to fortify ourselves in the meantime." Ikora said, getting many nods of agreement. "Let's search the Cosmodrome once again, and hunt down these Wolves to ensure that they can't establish themselves here."

"Well there are our orders." Briggs said as he motioned to Ikora. "We can proceed with Tobias' training as well. I had my doubts at first, but it's clear to me now that he can be a real difference maker in the near future once he gets more experience under his belt."

"Sounds good to me." Tobias said eagerly.

A/N

I don't know how many people remember that first week when the House of Wolves expansion dropped in Destiny, but part of the campaign involved taking out a Captain at the Forgotten Shore named Drevis who was a STINKIN' TANK. It took a crap ton of pre-nerf Gjallarhorns to put down that thing, so Briggs' struggle against Drevis in this chapter was just a small reference back to the day I first met Drevis in the Cosmodrome. Good times :)

In other news, there's been a lot of speculation about 'Destiny 2' being delayed. There's a lot of opinions about that, but I'm behind that decision one hundred percent. If it means a finished product will be the base game this time, and they have a solid foundation to build on, then I'll gladly wait for it. I just hope they have something decent planned for the rest of 'Destiny 1' because that's a LONG time to wait. I don't want to set my expectations too high, but obviously they have to do something to keep players around for. All they really have to do is keep the game even remotely relevant for the time being.

For now though, thanks for reading! :D


	6. Wolves' Gambit

**Chapter 6**

* * *

 **Forgotten Shore**

The sun was high in the sky now, and Tobias found himself back on the Forgotten Shore right after an eventful night.

All of the Guardians that had gathered at the Wall had waited until the Titans from the Last City had arrived before departing. Ikora had advised everyone to return wherever they had been stationed in the Cosmodrome and keep a keen eye for any activity from the Wolves. They may have killed off some of the highest authority in the House of Wolves, but this Fallen House was still present in the Cosmodrome.

 _"I had my doubts at first, but it's clear to me now that he can be a real difference maker in the near future once he gets more experience under his belt."_

Briggs-6 had said that about him this morning and Tobias felt his chest swell with pride. For how much he had struggled learning under each of them during the last two days, he was glad to hear something like this.

Now though, Tobias held his tanto as he stood before Niko who was about to begin his lesson. Niko had agreed to take Tobias under his wing during the morning, and he had decided that with Tobias' success with Arc Blade during the night, it only made sense to make sure he understood proper swordsmanship.

"So basically, you just stab them." Niko stated bluntly, leaving Tobias to stare at him in a deadpan.

"Gee, I never would've figured that out." Tobias mumbled as he looked down at the weapon in his hands. "So there's no kind of technique or anything behind using this. You just run around swinging it?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Niko replied with a shrug.

"Okay then, who taught you how to use this?" Tobias asked.

"Cayde."

"And how did he teach you?" Tobias went on. Perhaps Cayde's teaching methods would be of some use. Niko looked up in thought, recalling the day he had received his first tanto from Cayde-6.

 _"Here Piko." Cayde said as he handed Niko the blade._

 _"It's, Niko." Niko replied as he accepted the weapon._

 _"Whatever."_

 _"O-kay, so now what?"_

 _"Don't die."_

"What?!" Tobias exclaimed, clearly dumbfounded by this story. "That's it? He didn't teach you anything?"

"Nope, I just kind of figured it out." Niko replied.

"Well don't you have any tips or something to help me use this right?" Tobias asked him as he raised his tanto. Niko had been using these for decades now, so there must have been _something_ he could recommend.

Niko hit his open palm softly as he got an idea.

"I know what to do."

* * *

"Niko, I don't like this." Tobias stated as he laid on his back, gasping for air.

"But you're not dead." Niko pointed out in return with a whistle. "And besides, all of your wounds closed up like instantly."

Niko's marvelous idea was for them to have a duel, only using their tantos. And Niko didn't even think of Tobias' safety, cutting him at any and every opportunity.

 _"If you can defend yourself with your blade, then you'll know when to attack with it."_ Niko said, and in theory that made sense to Tobias. But the way the put it into practice left Tobias a bit shell shocked. He thought Niko would pull some punches so to speak and help him understand how to defend himself, but clearly such a concept didn't occur to Niko.

"Hello, Earth to Tobias." Niko said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Did you say something?" Tobias asked him.

"It was nothing important. I just think you need more practice." He replied.

"Yeah, I thought so too."

"And also, I noticed you've been kind of distracted. Even when we were sparring you were unfocused." Niko said to him.

"What? I wasn't distracted." Tobias said. He had been focused quite intently during their exercise.

"No, your head wasn't in the game completely. Do you have something on your mind?" Niko said, causing Tobias to furrow his brow.

There _was_ something on his mind, but he had pushed it aside to focus on Niko's instructions. Maybe for a split moment or two his mind might have wandered during the spar.

"Well, there was something on my mind. But how'd you notice that?" Tobias inquired. He was impressed with Niko's instincts that could allow him to deduct all of that from just a momentary lapse.

"Oh, there was a part in our spar where I could've you decapitated you so I pulled back, but it was like you didn't even notice." Niko explained.

"No way! I definitely would've remembered that." Tobias proclaimed.

"That cut you had on your neck. Where do you think it came from?!" Niko said in return, reminded Tobias of the wound he had received earlier, although it was long gone now.

"Crap." Tobias said as he placed a hand against the side of his neck. "I guess I was distracted."

"So whatever it is that's on your mind, it must be pretty important." Niko said.

Tobias couldn't deny it now. His discussion with Anari on the Wall this morning had been on his mind since they had returned to the Forgotten Shore.

 _"A world without the Darkness…? I can't even begin to imagine it."_

"Do you remember that Guardian we saved last night, when we first entered the Wall?" Tobias asked, receiving a nod from Niko.

"Yeah, I remember her. Did you want to ask her out on a date or something?" Niko asked in return, shooting Tobias a sly grin.

"What? No!" Tobias exclaimed. "…We just talked for a bit after the mission was over, and she told me that she doesn't know what it's like to live without the Darkness. I was just wondering what that must be like."

"Ah, I see~" Niko said as he stroked his beard.

"Do you know what it's like?"

"Actually, I do." Niko stated, causing Tobias to perk up now. "Most of the Guardians were victims from the Collapse, or some other event that took place after that. I'm a bit of an outlier though."

"How so?"

"When I was alive, I was a soldier in Ancient Athens. I was Greek." Niko revealed.

"A geek?" Tobias said.

"No, Greek." Niko corrected him with a snort. "I lived back when there were only humans and animals on the Earth. Unfortunately, we didn't live in peace. We were divided by the nations that existed at the time, and fought over territories and resources."

"But you're all humans. Why was there a need to fight one another?"

Niko only shook his head in response.

"I don't know. There's something you just can't explain." He said after a while. "I was told that after the Traveler appeared, all fighting ceased. But that centuries after I was alive, centuries of fighting and killing each other. I even read that there were points where mankind was willing to point nuclear weapons at each other."

"It was that bad?"

"Definitely. But once the Darkness appeared, you could say that-that was the first time that mankind was truly united." Niko said before chuckling. "All it took the threat of total extinction."

"Whoa." Was all Tobias could say. He never would've imagined humans treating each other like that. But…if they did manage to defeat the Darkness, would conditions return how it was when Niko was alive?

"I never really got to experience peace back in Athens. There was a war taking place with a rival nation. So when I became a Guardian and started fighting again, it was like I was back out on the war front again." Niko explained to him. "But who knows? Maybe if we beat the Darkness, we might reach a second Golden Age. I'd love to see that."

"Golden Age?" Tobias repeated. Why did that sound so familiar to him?

An image flashed in front of Tobias' eyes.

He was standing on a large stage, staring out at an incredible crowd, but all of them were hazy figures. He could hear them applauding, so he raised his hand and began to wave to them. Glancing to his left, he noticed that there was dark haired man standing beside him, but his face was a blur as well, concealing his identity. They waved at the crowd for a few moments before they approached by a man who placed an award in his hands.

Looking down at the award, Tobias could only wonder what it was before he passed it over to the man beside him. This man raised it triumphantly, much to the delight of the audience.

"Tobias, are you okay?" Niko asked before Tobias suddenly fell backward, hitting the ground with a thud.

* * *

"What did you do to him Niko?" Briggs asked.

"I didn't do anything. We were talking and then he just fell over." Niko responded.

"Quiet Niko." Diana whispered at him harshly. "He's waking up."

Tobias blinked a few times, rising up a bit from his bunk to look around. He was resting in the main cabin of the ship on the one the beds that extended from the wall. All the members of Undaunted were around him, glad to see he had woken up.

"Ugh, what happened?" Tobias asked them as he placed a hand on his throbbing head.

"That's what we want to know." Briggs replied.

"Uh…I don't even know myself." Tobias replied. "I saw, a memory I guess, and then I started to get really dizzy."

"You scared us there Tobias." Diana said to him.

"Well you scared them, not me." Niko said through pursed lips, earning an elbow from Diana. "Alright, I was a little nervous. Just a bit."

"I seem to remember you came screaming into camp that Tobias died." Diana revealed with a small smirk.

"You thought I died?" Tobias asked him as he looked up at the Hunter.

"Uhh…" Niko suddenly placed a hand on his head and became unsteady on his feet. "I just caught a case of poo brain from Tobias. I don't remember anything~."

Niko looked toward Diana, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Who are you again?" He asked her.

"Amnesia isn't contagious." Diana said as she rolled her eyes at his dramatics, swatting away his hand. "But I guess only a Hunter would come to that conclusion."

"Oh, that's below the belt Diana!" Niko declared.

"Anyway, are you sure you're alright Tobias." Briggs asked him as he stepped in between Tobias and the bickering duo.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Tobias said, now seated on his bunk. He then gave Briggs a nod of reassurance.

"I'm going to leave my Ghost with you though Tobias, just to keep you company." She said as her small companion appeared beside her. "Keep an eye on him for us."

"I'm on it." It said before placing its gaze on Tobias, becoming frozen like a statue.

"Thanks Ghost, I know I can count on you." Diana said as she left along with the rest of them.

Tobias sighed before lying back down on the bunk. He was supposed to be training, but now he was stuck on the jumpship. Looking up at the ceiling, he let his eyes wonder, following the panel work that made up the top of the room. Eventually, Tobias propped himself up on one elbow to find that Diana's Ghost was still staring at him, exactly where Diana had left it. It hadn't budged, remaining completely motionless in midair.

"Hey Ghost, what do you know about Diana?" Tobias asked it. Her Ghost responded by blinking, finally beginning to move up down against it floated.

"Well I am her Ghost, so I know quite a lot about her." It replied.

"Do you know what she was like before she was a Guardian?" Tobias continued.

"Indeed I do."

"Can you tell me about it?"

"Nope." Her Ghost stated, getting a frown from Tobias.

"How come?"

"I'm not authorized to reveal anything about Diana. I'm under her orders to keep her former life private." Her Ghost explained. "Anything you want to learn about her, you'll have to speak to her directly."

"Hmph." Tobias muttered as he looked away from her Ghost.

Niko had been very open with him about anything. Diana had been secretive on more than one occasion now. And Tobias definitely wasn't going to go digging into Briggs' personal life. Each of them had a story though, and he was curious about it now. Perhaps this would help him rediscover his own past.

* * *

Outside the ship, Briggs, Diana and Niko stood together, quietly checking their surroundings before they relaxed a bit.

"So he's starting to have memories already." Niko noted.

"Well it has been three days since he's woken up. It's only a matter of time." Diana said to him. "Or there could have been a trigger too. What were you guys talking about?"

"He was asking me about my life before I was a Guardian. Then I started to tell him about the Collapse and the Golden Age and suddenly he fell over." Niko explained. "I still don't understand what would make him pass out like that though."

"It might have been too intense for him. I mean, it's not like you know what he saw." Diana pointed out. "He might have remembered how he died."

Niko seemed to grimace a bit at the mention of this. He then shook this is off as he looked away from Diana.

"I hate that memory, but it doesn't make me pass out. What could be more intense than seeing your own death?" Niko asked her.

"I don't know, but I've fainted from seeing memories too." Diana said to him.

"Well that makes you weird then."

"Excuse me?" Diana exclaimed. "How does that make me weird?"

"Well number one, your skin implies that you have frostbite taken to the extreme, and you have the hair color of an old hag." Niko said to her, leaving Diana's mouth a gap. "On top of that, now you pass out when you remember something. Yeah, that's pretty weird in my book."

"Oh, you really want to go there Niko?" Diana barked at him. "At least I'm not so hairy that my face looks like a freakin' gorilla!"

"That's low Diana, below the belt!" Niko shouted at her, motioning to his waist.

"You brought this on yourself!" Diana hollered in return. Briggs stood back, quietly watching their usual exchange with only a slight interest. It was quite amusing how much material the two of them had for each other despite being teammates for so long. You would think they'd run out of insults, but they just keep on coming.

"Message incoming!" Briggs' Ghost declared, appearing in front of him. Diana and Niko were silence by this as they assumed it was another report about the House of Wolves.

"What's going on?" Diana asked.

"Petra Venj has opened a channel with the Vanguard. There was an invitation for all available Guardians to tune in." Briggs' Ghost responded before it split its shell, beginning to broadcast the conversation that was taking place.

"The connection with the Vanguard has been established." Petra began. "So can you run that by us again?"

"Sure thing. My fireteam and I had been sent to Venus by Commander Zavala. We were among the first to arrive in the Ishtar, so we decided to patrol the area to get an idea of where the Wolves might be hiding." A male Guardian explained. "As we traveled through the Waking Ruins, we noticed that the seal on the Vault of Glass was broken with banners of the House of Wolves planted around the entrance, so we immediately went to investigate immediately."

The mention of the Vault of Glass now had the full attention of Diana, Niko and Briggs.

"We ventured down into the Vault until we found Skolas and the Wolves tampering with the Vex Confluxes." The male Guardian stated.

"But what would Skolas want from the Vex?" Diana asked as she looked at Niko and Briggs, neither of which could give her an answer.

"We engaged the Wolves, but as soon as they became aware of our presence, a portal opened. It was similar to the ones the Vex use, but the Fallen came flooding out of it, more than any of us could imagine." The Guardian went on. "We had to retreat, but we've been monitoring the Wolves. Skolas has an army now, and they're marching toward the Vex Citadel."

"The Vex Citadel. What could Skolas possibly want with that?" Petra asked herself.

"Yeah, what does all this mean?" Niko asked his team.

"He was tampering with Vex Confluxes in the Vault of Glass and he was able to summon and army of Wolves." Diana noted, going through the information they had gathered so far.

"The Guardian compared it to how the Vex use their portals. Could it be possible that Skolas was trying to hack the Vex network of portals?" Briggs suggested, tossing an idea out there for his teammates to dissect.

"But how would having access to the Vex network be of any benefit to him?" Diana said.

"Think for a moment. He was able to summon an army. With access to the Vex portals, he can transport his House anywhere around the system." Briggs continued, causing Diana to raise her brow. Niko though had wide eyes as it all donned on him.

"Not even. You guys are thinking to small still." Niko said. "I remember that the Vex portals can go to any place, at any point in time. Skolas isn't just moving the forces he has at the moment. He's taking Wolves from any _time_ and bringing them here."

"That's not good." Diana said before a thought occurred to her. "But that doesn't make sense. He has the ability to summon an almost endless amount of Fallen. Why head for the Vex Citadel?"

"I've just been informed that at the top of the Vex Citadel is where the heart of their network is located. But what could he be planning to do there?" Petra continued before a raspy voice cut in.

"Skolas and House Wolves, seek vengeance against Awoken for loss in Reef Wars. If Skolas controls Vex network, time travel may be a…possibility." Variks explained to them.

"Variks, are you saying he aims to travel through time and change the outcome of the Reef Wars?" Petra inquired.

"Guaranteed. House Wolves harbor deep hatred for Awoken. If not for Reef Wars, Fallen would have succeeded at Twilight Gap. That would be Skolas', greatest triumph." Variks went on.

"Then we don't have much time." The Guardian called out.

"Guardians, we now have a crisis on our hands. Skolas is heading for the Citadel as we speak. Is there anyone in the Ishtar Region that an intercept the Wolves before they reach the Citadel?" Petra asked.

"That's a negative." It was Commander Zavala speaking. "We had yet to make contact with the Wolves prior to this. We're scattered about the region, and attacking this army in small numbers is too risky. We'll gather together at the Citadel, and launch our offensive against Skolas from there."

"Anyone who is available to join the effort on Venus, come as soon as you can." Petra advised them before the channel was shut down. Now was the time to act.

Diana looked at Niko and Briggs, both of which gave her a nod as a signal. They were going to Venus.

"Ghost, prep the ship." Briggs called out as they rushed up the ramp, startling Tobias as they all strapped themselves to a seat in preparation for a jump to light speed.

"What's going on?" Tobias asked them.

"New orders from Petra. Skolas is headed for a Vex Citadel on Venus. And we're going to stop him dead in his tracks." Briggs stated. "Strap in, because as soon as we make it to orbit, we're going to light speed."

Skolas, that's the big guy, the one leading the Wolves right?" Tobias asked them as he got into one of the open seats. Diana gave him a nod in response. "Do you guys think we'll get to fight him?"

"I fully plan on it." Diana said, earning a brief look of concern from Briggs and Niko. But the two of them quickly returned their focus to the preparation for takeoff.

Tobias unconsciously began to open and close his fingers, as if to give them a warm up. He eager for his next fight now, eager to see what else he could do with his abilities. He had defeated a Fallen Captain on his own, but now he would be facing the champion of a Fallen House. This would be a true test.

 **Venus**

 **Ishtar Region**

 **Citadel**

For the second time in the last twenty four hours, Tobias found himself leaning backward to look up an incredible structure. It had been the Cosmodrome Wall last night. And now, he was staring up the Vex Citadel that seemed to reach for the heavens. It was unlike anything that he had seen on Earth, but considering the fact that the Vex had built it, it was no surprise that it didn't resemble anything made by mankind.

A large number of Guardians had gathered at the base of the Citadel, anxiously waiting for their order to proceed.

"So we have to get to the top of that thing?" Tobias asked as he looked to Niko who stood beside him.

"Yup." Niko said, giving him a nod.

"So then, why didn't we just fly there?"

"The top of the Citadel is protected by the Vex. Their portals make the area intangible unless you enter it from using a lift at the bottom like we're about to." Briggs explained to him.

"Although I'll bet the Wolves have set up some defenses around the lift to slow us down." Diana said.

"Well well, if it isn't the _mighty_ fireteam Undaunted." A male voice proclaimed, earning their attention. They all spun around to find a Titan matching Niko in height, standing tall and proud in his decorated armor.

"He-y, its umm, uh…" Niko trailed off as he realized he didn't recognize the Guardian that had approached them. "What's your name again?"

"It's Zeke damn it!" He snapped, animatedly pointing a finger at Niko who chuckled.

"Calm down Zeke, Niko's just messing with you." Diana said, motioning for him to tone it down since he had drawn the attention of the surrounding Guardians.

"It looks like I'm doing a good job too." Niko added, but the Titan was completely unaffected by Niko's comments as he now scratched the back of his neck with a goofy chuckle.

"H-Hey Diana, it's good to see you again." Zeke said as he focused on the Warlock. "How've you been?"

"I've been well Zeke. I see you've been keeping well too." Diana replied.

"Oh, I'm glad you noticed." He said, flexing his biceps which went unnoticed by Diana.

"Who's he?" Tobias asked Niko softly.

"He's the leader of some fireteam we worked with a couple of times. Fireteam lizard or something like that." Niko explained.

"It's fireteam _Salamander_!" Zeke hollered at him.

"Heh, I knew he'd hear that one." Niko said with a laugh.

Briggs on the other hand, was far more interested with the report he was receiving from his Ghost about the situation within the Citadel.

"I'm detecting both Fallen and Vex around the base of the Citadel. They're in combat at the moment." His Ghost noted, getting a nod from Briggs.

"The opposition is going to be heavy then." Briggs concluded.

"We should expect nothing less." A burly voice filled with authority boomed, gaining everyone's attention. Every Guardian immediately recognized this voice.

"Commander Zavala." Briggs said as he stepped aside, allowing the Titan Vanguard to look up at the entrance to the Citadel.

"According to the report we have, the House of Wolves had stationed a portion of their forces around the lift. This is in an all-out effort to buy time for Skolas to take control of the Vex network." Zavala explained to them. "Guardians, from the moment we arrive at the lift, we're going to strike hard and fast. Now we don't have time to waste. Everyone, move out!"

* * *

"Okay, I'm a little freaked out now." A Guardian whispered to their teammate walking beside them. All of them were currently passing through a tight corridor, and there were bodies everywhere. Dead Vex were lumped together in piles, with severed heads and broken limbs poking out. Yet…there wasn't one Fallen casualty as far as they could see.

That Vanguard had always advised the Guardians to be caution when engaging the Vex, whereas the Fallen weren't treated quite as seriously. But for the Fallen to slaughter the Vex to such an extent…the Wolves were certainly the most dangerous Fallen House the Guardians had seen.

"We're getting close." Zavala commented as he looked up. Faintly, he could hear the sounds of a nearby battle. "The Juncture and the lift are dead ahead, get ready to engage."

Reaching the end of the corridor, the Guardians found themselves entering a large room with a towering pillar at the center that rose straight up to the heart of the Citadel. Waiting around this pillar though was the Fallen, who were already under attack by the Vex who were trying to remove the foreigners that had invaded their structure.

"I don't think I've ever seen the Fallen and the Vex fight each other before." A Guardian pointed out.

"We'll have time for observations later. Clear them out!" Zavala ordered as everyone drew their weapons. "Don't leave anything standing!"

Tobias felt his heart begin to race as he tightened his hold on his Proxima. The number of enemies that occupied this room was unlike anything that he had seen when they were fighting back on Earth. But at the same time, he was now standing side by side with more allies than he had on Earth.

The Guardians spilled out into the Juncture, firing their weapons at anything that moved. The Vex had surrounded the Fallen forces, pressing them around the lift, but the robotic race began to drop like flies as the Guardians shredded through them. Noticing the presence of a new threat, a large Vex Hydra turned toward the Guardians, flexing its limbs. The small cannons on the sides of the Hydra lit up before it began to pelt the Guardians with energy blasts, giving a screech as it called for some of the Vex to aid it.

"Look out!" Briggs shouted as he thrusted his arms outward, casting a Ward of Dawn over the Guardians that stood beside him. The purple shield blocked out the onslaught from the Hydra, and it quickly reminded many of the other Defender Titans present to put down a Ward of Dawn as well, creating a safety zone for the Guardians to work out of. Realizing that they were under attack from two fronts now, the Vex began to divide their effort to fight both the Fallen and the Guardians.

"Thanks for the Orbs!" Niko called out as he ignited his Golden Gun. "Ghost, I need my Celestial Nighthawk!"

Niko's helmet changed immediately, resembling the face of a bird now as its eyes flickered to life. Niko them jumped into the air and took aim with his flaming weapon, firing down onto the Hydra. His hands were thrown upward from the powerful recoil as the pistol released a stream of scarlet flames onto the Hydra, piercing right through it. The large Vex unit gave a groan before its limbs began to explode, leaving nothing but its torso to collapse to the ground.

"Backing you up!" Diana shouted as she and a pair of like-minded Voidwalkers jumped into the air following Niko's attack, hurling Nova Bombs into the center of the Vex forces. A portion of the Vex forces were vaporized by the blast, starting an all-out push by the Guardians as they devastated the Vex with their abilities.

In just a matter of minutes the Juncture was almost devoid of the enemies of the Light. As the Guardians picked off the last of the Fallen now, the small group of Fallen that were stationed by the lift controls decided to take decisive action. The Captain gave a growl as it motioned to the controls, ordering a Dreg to destroy it while the rest of them stepped into the lift.

Those that stood on the lift were snatched up and taken to the top of the spire, leaving the Dreg to look at the surrounding Guardians as they finished off the last of the Fallen now. Attaching a shock grenade to the console, the bomb detonated and destroyed the lift controls, causing a cylinder like barrier to rise up around the base of the lift, denying anyone entry. The Dreg looked up at where its allies had gone, only receiving a moment to hope that its efforts would be noted before it was gunned down by the Guardians.

"That's the last one." Niko commented as Zavala approached the lift controls, placing a hand on it to examine the damage.

"Ghost, do you think you can repair this?" Zavala asked as he called out his small companion. The drone took a moment to scan the lift controls before turning back to him.

"I'm not familiar with any of the patterns used within the Vex network. Restoring this console could take me some time." His Ghost replied.

"Those Wolves will stop at nothing to give Skolas some time it seems." Zavala noted quietly. They didn't have time to waste trying to fix the lift.

"Hold on a second Commander Zavala!" Diana's Ghost called out as it materialized beside him.

"Yes?" The Titan Vanguard said as he glanced at the Ghost.

"I've hacked the Vex network twice now. Once to bring out a Gate Lord, and the other time to enter the Black Garden. I think I have the best chance of restoring the lift for us in the shortest amount of time." Diana's Ghost informed him.

"Well, by all means then." Zavala's Ghost said courteously as it moved aside for Diana's Ghost.

"Do you have an estimated time of completion?" Zavala asked curiously.

"Give me sixty seconds." It replied.

"Excellent." Zavala stated before turning to the Guardians that were waiting for their orders. "Guardians, you have one minute for final prep. As soon as the lift is active again, we're going to make a beeline for Skolas!"

All of them had already checked their weapons outside of the Citadel, but it didn't hurt to check everything one more time.

"Hey Tobias, are you okay?" Diana asked as she approached him. Tobias was seated on a small ledge, his legs shaking as he quietly stared at the lift.

"I'm fine. Just excited is all." He replied, causing Diana to raise her brow. Even though she couldn't see his eyes because of his helmet, she was certain that they must have had a fire in them again.

Unfortunately though, Tobias wasn't going to have an opportunity to fight Skolas here. Diana would be the one to kill Skolas.

 _Diana stomped hard with every step, sprinting as quickly as she could through a long corridor that was tinted red by the emergency lights._

 _"We've switched to auxiliary power!" The announcement came over the intercom of the station which shook violently once again, throwing Diana into the wall. "The escape pods have been activated! All civilians have been order to evacuate as quickly as possible!"_

 _Steadying herself, Diana took off again reaching the end of the hallway where she rounded a corner that took her out into one of the escape pod bays. As she reached the entrance, she could hear screams for help which made her grab the sidearm that was strapped to her thigh. Racing into the escape pod bay, Diana spotted a group of Awoken civilians that were trapped in the corner of the room by a group of Vandals. Members of the Fallen House of Wolves._

 _"Please, just leave us!" They begged the Vandals who only raised their weapons in response, ready to kill off these people. But before any of them could shoot, everything came to a halt as one of them went limp, crumpling to the floor with a hole in its head._

 _The Vandals whirled around, spotting Diana who stood at the entrance with her weapon raised. Before any of the Vandals could respond though, she dropped two more of them, leaving the remaining ones to glance nervously at each other. They recognized the insignia on Diana's helmet. She was a member of the Awoken Royal Guard, and she could and would dispatch them easily._

"Guardians, get ready!" Zavala called out, snapping everyone out of their thoughts as they looked toward the spire. The shield that had been blocking off the entry point of the lift began to glow before expanding, traveling up the full length of the lift. The entire thing was sealed off.

"Whoops, that's…not, right." Diana's Ghost said sheepishly as it looked up at the spire. "Give me sixty _more_ seconds."

Diana palmed the forehead of her helmet with a sigh. Only her Ghost could pull off something like this.

"Considering the number of Wolves we engaged down here, it's safe to assume that they have a much greater force waiting for us up there." Zavala began. "It's very likely that we won't have much time to stop Skolas, so we're going to go after him directly. Regardless of the enemy numbers, we're going to do everything we can to get a team to Skolas to stop him!"

"Commander Zavala, I'll face Skolas!" Diana declared as she now stood on the ledge beside Tobias, elevated above most of the Guardians.

" _We_ , want to face Skolas." Briggs corrected her as he and Niko separated themselves from the crowd.

Zavala smiled inwardly as he recognized this team immediately. Fireteam Undaunted.

Zavala had the utmost confidence in any of the Guardians present to fight Skolas, but seeing Undaunted step forward guaranteed the success of this mission. If anyone here could kill Skolas, it was them.

"Alright then, I will do everything in my power to get you to him." Zavala stated as raised one hand, closing it into fist. "Everyone else with be our escorts. My Ghost will provide objectives, so stay focused on the tasks you receive and we will find success!"

"I got it this time!" Diana's Ghost announced, and just as it had said, the shield that had sealed off the lift vanished, allowing them to make their way to the top of the Citadel.

"This is it Guardians! Let's move!" Zavala commanded as they began to enter the lift. In groups they were lifted up the spire, rising up through the Citadel. At one point they were passing through an open space where they could see the surface of Venus as it grew smaller and smaller before it disappeared beneath a layer of clouds.

Finally they were spat out of the lift onto a large platform where they could see the shinning brilliantly in the distance. Slowly as they all arrived at the top of the Citadel, the Guardians looked out in the distance to see what awaited them.

The banner of the House of Wolves fluttered in the breeze, high over the main platform that was heavily occupied by the Fallen.

"How are we supposed to get over there?" One of the Guardians asked as they peered over the edge of the platform they stood on. There was no way for them to cross to the main platform where the Wolves were waiting for them.

For a few moments a platform appeared in front of them, and then it vanished as another one appeared further out.

"Those platforms out there, they're warping in and out of time itself. But based on the intervals that they're appearing for us, it looks like they create a pathway for us to cross…for just a few moments though." Diana Ghost explained to the group. "It'll take a while to reset though."

"We're under fire now!" Zavala exclaimed as he put down a Ward of Dawn, calling for the other Defenders to do the same to create a wall in front of them. There were Vandals out on the main platform with wire rifles, trying to gun them down from a far. "We need to pick off their snipers if we're going to cross. Ghost, select a team out of those present to provide cover fire for us."

Sorting through the information it had on the Guardians present, Zavala's Ghost assigned a pair of fireteams their job as snipers. Quickly retrieving their long range weapons, they got to work picking off the Vandals that were firing at them.

"Everyone else will be coming across with us!" Zavala ordered as the rest of the lined up at the edge of the platform, waiting for the first one to appear for them.

Scooping in on an enemy Vandal, a Hunter pulled the trigger and watched as the Vandal she had been aiming was blow off the elevator platform it stood on. Without a moment of hesitation she found her next target and did the same, removing the Fallen snipers.

"Okay, I'm detecting a surge, get ready!" Diana's Ghost called out for them as the first platform pixelated into existence, becoming solid once it was fully formed. Most of the Guardians had made the jump to the first platform, anxiously waiting for the next one to appear.

"Look out!" A Guardian shouted as a shock grenade landed on the platform with them.

"We're sitting ducks out here!" Niko hollered as he kicked the grenade of the edge of the platform before it could detonate. The Fallen that were waiting on the main platform were beginning to gather at the edge, firing their weapons and hurling grenades at the approaching Guardians.

"Get behind me!" Briggs ordered as he dropped a Ward of Dawn to shield them.

"We're going need more cover fire!" Zavala added as he glanced back at the Guardians on the platform they had started on who were steadily picking off who they could.

"There's the next platform!" Diana's Ghost interjected, surprising just about all of them. Some of the Guardians reacted quickly, managing to make the jump to the next platform. Those that failed to react in time though, found themselves free falling after the first platform disappeared from right under their feet. "We have a very small window to make these jumps so make sure you're-there's the next one!"

Frantically they scrambled to the next platform, with no losses this time.

"Give us better warning would ya?!" Diana snapped at her Ghost.

"Point taken it." Her Ghost replied as a Titan stepped forward to place a Ward of Dawn in front of them, blocking out the enemy fire. "Incoming!"

The jump to the next platform was flawless as they pressed on toward the main platform where the Wolves were waiting for them. The Wolves were relentless in their attack though, doing everything they could to slow down the Guardians approach, but it wasn't enough to slow down these Guardians.

"This is the last one!" Diana's Ghost proclaimed, which was the single for the Guardians to begin executing now. A squadron of Titans sprung forward first, rising as high as they could into the air. Together they each raised one hand into the air which they had balled up into a tight fist, fueling it with Arc Light. Electricity began to crackle around each of them before they launched themselves down at the Wolves on the main platform.

One by one these Strikers came crashing down, unleashing a torrent of Arc Light around them that vaporized the surroundings Wolves, clearing out an area for the Guardians to land.

"Defenders, we need those Ward of Dawns now!" Zavala ordered as he landed on the main platform, being one of the first to meet with the intense fire from the Wolves. They were already trying to choke the Guardians off of the main platform, which was all the more reason for them to establish a perimeter right now.

In a moment's notice, the Guardians established a perimeter on the main platform that became their staging ground.

"Make sure you pick up Weapons and Blessing of Light!" Briggs called out. For now, they would be operating out of these bubbles against far greater numbers while they waited for the rest of the Guardians to join them on the second trip across the jumping puzzle.

Tobias stood within one of the bubbles, watching as the Guardians poked in and out of the Ward of Dawns, gunning down a few Wolves at a time. It appeared as though this was all they could do while they waited for everyone else to cross.

"Hah!" Diana shouted as she swung her hand through the air, releasing a Shatter Nova Bob into the hordes of Wolves that surrounded them. Knocking out a chunk of them, Diana descended back down into the safety of the bubbles where she spotted Tobias watching the mayhem. "Tobias, you're a Voidwalker! Light this place up!"

"What do you mean?" He asked in reply. "Aren't we waiting for the others?"

"Yeah, and this is part of our strategy. We have to generate Orbs of Light for our Titans to keep creating Ward of Dawns. So start chucking Nova Bombs like I know you can!" She ordered him.

Tobias wasn't one to question orders. Leaping out of the bubble, Tobias ignited his hands with Void Light which he thrusted down onto the Wolves in front of them. Unleashing a swirling vortex onto the Fallen, a portion of them were swallowed up in this while the other Wolves backed away to avoid being eaten up by this attack.

"Commander Zavala, everyone is here now! We're good to go!"

"Excellent, let's press the offensive Guardians!" Zavala commanded as he motioned for a full frontal assault. The small area that Tobias had just cleared away became occupied by a pair of Titans who put down their bubbles, connecting them back to the starting point where the Guardians had landed.

"Oh, wow." Tobias exclaimed as he began to understand the plan. Even though they were outnumbered, they would always be acting from the safety of a Ward of Dawn. As the Guardians pressed forward, the Defenders would drop a bubble to continue their advance without even being touched. It was unbelievable!

On the far end of this main platform, a massive beast stood with a cloak fluttering in the breeze that possessed the sigil of the House of Wolves. Skolas, the Kell of the House of Wolves, looked out at the battlefield for a moment, watching as the Guardians slowly approached him. Even with the massive army he had at his disposal, this didn't deter the Guardians in the slightest. He couldn't let them continue like this. He couldn't allow the Wolves to fall! Not while he was leading them!

Turning around, Skolas returned his gaze to the Vex Mind Core that he had obtained in the Vault of Glass. The key that he needed to crack the Vex network. It was a small oddly shaped piece of machinery that now hovered in between a trio of Confluxes that had been waiting for him at the end of the platform. The place where all of the Vex portals met.

Skolas had spent years in the Prison of Elders. He didn't waste any of this time though. He learned, studying the enemies that occupied the Prison of Elders as well. And he discovered the Vex there, a fascinating robotic race that possessed the ability to travel through time. All Vex possessed this ability due to the connection each unit had established with the network. So for Skolas to gain these abilities, he would need just the sliver of a Mind Core so that he would warp through time.

Now as he stood at the heart of the Vex network, Skolas watched as the Mind Core glowed softly, harnessing power from the portals. The network was fighting him right now, trying to ensure that it wasn't being compromised. And it was taking far longer that Skolas had planned.

With every moment he lost waiting for the network to open up to him, the Guardians grew closer. Skolas threw his head back, and gave a great howl that seemed to pass the fighting for a moment.

"That must be Skolas!" Diana pointed out.

"He must be calling in reinforcements." Briggs added.

"Well we've been kicking around his grunts so far. He'll have to bring out the big guns eventually." Niko said, getting a nod of agreement from Briggs.

"Guardians, expect heavy resistance from this point forward!" Zavala called out for them.

'Jeez, so this was _light_ resistance?!' Tobias exclaimed to himself. He hadn't taken any serious his yet, but all of this gunfire and chaos couldn't be considered light resistance. But as black clouds began to form over the platform, Tobias found himself regretting asking such a question.

There was a blue flash from within the clouds before a group of Sevitors were dropped onto elevated parts of the main platform, while a Fallen Archon landed among the Wolves, towering over them.

"Hey, isn't that…Aksor?!" Niko exclaimed as she squinted at the Fallen Archon Priest which gave a roar. "We killed him months ago!"

"Skolas must have pulled him back from when he was alive to fight now." Briggs noted. Aksor was also a member of the House of Wolves, so it was fitting to see Skolas bring back such an ally. "Don't get caught up in that now though, we need to keep advancing!"

"Yeah, Skolas must be running out of ideas to slow us down!" Diana hollered.

"He must be if he brought Aksor! We'll just kick his ass a second time as warm up for Skolas!" Niko declared as he cracked his knuckles.

Even though Briggs had called for their advance to continue, the Guardians were stopped dead in their tracks when Aksor landed right in front of them. The surrounding Wolves began to back up a bit, giving Aksor some space as they eagerly awaited to see the Guardians engage and Archon. There was silence among the Guardians since this was something that none of them had anticipated, and Tobias would use this opportunity.

Darting out the bubble, Tobias made a bee-line for Aksor, surprising all of the Guardians.

"Tobias, what are you doing?!" Diana exclaimed as Tobias approached Aksor. The Archon was at least three times his size, but the difference in height meant nothing to Tobias. Aksor raised his arm and threw down in an attempt to crush Tobias, but he displayed his evasiveness as he sidestepped the attack and jumped onto Aksor's arm. Racing up his forearm and bicep, Aksor hissed at Tobias but he was unfazed as he went straight for the Archon's head.

Rotating his hand and slamming his palm in to the side of Aksor's head, a rippling blast was released from Tobias' hand which sent the large Archon stumbling away while Tobias landed comfortable on his feet. Not only was Aksor surprised, but everyone observing the fight. Aksor snarled in response as he straightened up, rushing toward Tobias who was now waiting for his next attack.

'Focus.' Tobias said to himself as he recalled his training with Niko.

 _"Focus your senses to the highest degree."_

'I can do this.' Tobias said to himself. Aksor lunged at him now, extending his claws to tear Tobias into pieces.

But Tobias dived at the Archon, barrel rolling right beneath him to avoid contact, but Aksor responded quickly. Thrusting his feet at the ground, Aksor created a thundering wave that caught Tobias as he was rolling which sent him reeling from the blast.

"Ugh." Tobias muttered as he lay on his back, dizzy from rolling so much. As he looked up, he found Aksor descending toward him, his hands clasped together to land a punishing blow to Tobias. "Oh, this is going to hurt."

Tobias felt his breath get caught in his throat as he shut his eyes, waiting to experience the pain of being crushed. But there was no pain.

"Tobias, what the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Opening one eyes, Tobias found Briggs standing in front of him, using nothing but his forearms to block Aksor's attack. The Archon snarled at Briggs', but the Titan was far more concerned with Tobias than the opponent in front of him.

Keeping the pressure on Briggs' with one arm, Aksor raised its other hand to swat the Titan away, but before he could do so, a black stick hit the side of the Archon's head, attaching itself to it. Suddenly a bright red light shot out from the opposite end of the stick before it exploded, staggering Aksor handily.

"Hah, perfect tripmine!" Niko commented at the accuracy of his toss.

"Let's go!" Briggs commanded now while Aksor was still recovering from this. The Guardians gave Tobias and Briggs some cover fire as they returned to the bubbles.

"Tobias, what were you thinking just now?" Briggs demanded to know a second time, but a roar from Aksor reminded him of their current situation. "Forget that for now. Just remember, we're a team Tobias. There's no reason to throw yourself at the enemy, by yourself. We stick _together_."

"…Right." Tobias said after a pause, giving him a nod.

A fireteam of three stepped into Aksor's path now, raising their weapons at the Archon.

"Back off Undaunted, you can leave this guy to us!" Zeke declared as he stood beside the other two members of fireteam Salamander.

"Yo, we can handle this!" Niko retorted.

"The priority of your fireteam is to take out Skolas. Our priority is to get you there. So get your asses moving!" Zeke ordered as he motioned for them to get going.

"He's right Niko." Briggs pointed out, raising a hand to stop Niko before he could protest. "Undaunted, let's keep moving!"

"We're right behind you." Tobias said as he took one last look at Aksor. Fireteam Salamander stood confidently, eager to fight the Archon Priest.

"Axel, Sheryl, let's tear em' to shreds!" Zeke shouted as they charged forward.

"We need to keep moving Guardians!" Zavala hollered, and the chaos resumed as soon as the next Ward of Dawn was placed.

"Those Servitors are beating the crap out of us!" A Guardian called out. The Servitors that had been thrown into the mix when Aksor arrived had been pelting them with energy blasts to slow their approach.

"Snipers, we need you to knock out those Servitors!" Zavala commended.

"On it!"

"We're almost there!" Diana pointed out as she caught sight of the final ramp that would take them up to the area where Skolas was waiting.

"Let's push through!" Briggs shouted as he gave his team the signal. Diana rose into the air and fired another Nova Bomb to clear away the Wolves that were protecting this ramp. And Niko followed with his Golden Gun, picking off anyone that tried to deny them entry.

As soon as they made it up the ramp, the Wolves closed them off from the rest of the Guardians, ready to smother them. But a roar from Skolas halted the Wolves that had been focusing on Undaunted. Skolas was looking at the Guardians, giving them a sharp glance as they aimed their weapons at him.

These were the champions that the Guardians had sent forth to defeat him? They certainly didn't look the part. They were no bigger than their allies. Skolas began to speaking in his native language to the four Guardians before him, pointing at them vehemently.

"Oh ho ho-!" Variks exclaimed over the comms after Skolas had finished speaking.

"Variks, what did he say?" Petra inquired.

"Skolas has declared himself the Kell of Kells, and he is insulted that this is all the Guardians could muster to oppose him. He will make an example of them to all the others." Variks translated with a cackle. Skolas was still just as bold and arrogant as he remembered.

"Alright then, it looks like we'll have to show him what happens when you underestimate a Guardian!" Briggs declared.

"I couldn't agree more!" Diana added.

"Fireteam Undaunted, let's go!"

A/N

So this is my first major battle here with the Terminus, a Vex stronghold, being turned into a battleground for the Guardians and the House of Wolves.

In game I loved this level. All of the build up through the HoW campaign as we chased Skolas led up to us ascending to the top of the Vex Citadel, an area that had been locked off until HoW had been released. So believe me when I say I was anxious to see this area for myself. The setting was outstanding, but the boss fight was lackluster to me since Skolas didn't really do much. Maybe if they had utilized the entire platform he was on for that fight it might have been more interesting…but that's the past now.

I'm trying to develop this battle a lot more from how it unfolded in game, so hopefully you guys enjoy this arc. This battle with Skolas is going to take a few chapters, so be prepared.

In other news, Crimson Doubles is in effect, and kind of lame in my opinion. But they did announce in spring that there would be some new PvE challenges and a Light level increase, so hopefully there'll be more relevant content with this update. I read some speculation that they're going to update the Vault of Glass and Crota's End, which I all for if the loot table from those raids comes up to the max light level as well. It there's any set of gear I loved, it was that beautiful Warlock set from VoF. That was per-fection! Just my two cents though.

Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this chapter!


	7. The Kell of Kells

**Chapter 7**

* * *

Skolas scoffed at the four Guardians that stood before him. The warriors that protected the Traveler had amassed a great number to fight against his House, yet they only sent this team of four to fight him. He would punish the Guardians for their foolish execution.

With a low growl, Skolas took a hold of his scorch cannon which had been leaning against the conflux, hoisting it up onto his shoulder. He then raised his free hand triumphantly, causing a dark cloud to begin to form behind him. From this cloud, a pair of transparent Servitors were dropped down, positioning themselves beside Skolas.

Each of them gained a dark aura which traveled over to Skolas, causing the Kell to give a defiant roar before inviting the Guardians to attack.

"Careful Guardians. Servitor bonds grant Skolas invulnerability. Must, destroy Servitors." Variks warned them as each of them took a moment to study the support Skolas had brought in for himself.

"Alright, we'll pair off to-" Briggs began before hi optics caught sight of Diana dashing toward Skolas fearlessly.

Skolas raised his brow, impressed with Diana's boldness to commit to a frontal attack. But she would pay dearly for such a reckless decision. Firing away with his scorch cannon as Diana drew closer, Skolas watched as Diana was consumed by the flaming projectiles, leaving him a little underwhelmed. He was expecting a fight from these warriors.

"Up here!" Diana called out as she floated in the air above Skolas. In each of her hands was a small sphere of Void Light which she threw down at Skolas, forcing him to raise an arm to defend himself from these Vortex grenades. Using this brief moment where Skolas' attention was on her attack, Diana used Blink a second time, warping herself straight to the Servitors.

Drawing her fusion rifle as she felt her feet touch down on the floor, Diana pulled the trigger to charge to the weapon. Unfortunately, the time required to actually fire this weapon was more than enough for Skolas to protect his Servitors.

"Gah!" Diana exclaimed as she was struck by Skolas's scorch cannon. Not by the projectiles it fires, but the weapon itself. Skolas had swung it right at her, batting her away from the Servitors. Sailing through the air, Diana felt herself hit another body which brought her flight to an end.

"I got you." Briggs stated having caught Diana in his arms.

"Thanks." Diana said in reply as Briggs set her down on her feet.

"Now don't start any of that solo crap with me." Briggs snapped at her. She had rushed off before they had even developed a plan of attack. "We have yet to get full grasp of how powerful our enemy is, so _stick with us_."

"Yeah, you're always out here acting like Ikora, 'we need to understand our enemies!'" Niko added as he now stood in front of them, imitating the Warlock Vanguard who constantly made that point to everyone. "But then you charge at Skolas head first, that's not how things work Diana. Leave fighting blind to the Hunters, and when you find a weakness, then you can strike."

"We already know his weakness Niko." Diana said as she pointed to the Servitors. "As long as those guys are up, we can't hurt him. Obviously Skolas is going to be protecting them, so all we need to do is bait and lure him to put some distance between them, and then we'll bum rush the Servitors."

"Now you're _thinking_." Briggs noted, getting a snort from Niko.

"I think she should stick to doing that, and let me do what I do best." Niko declared as he drew his hand cannon, focusing his Light into his feet. "Tobias, get ready to hit Skolas with _everything_ you've got."

Niko darted as Skolas with his heightened speed, surprising the Kell with his agility as he fired off multiple rounds with his hand cannon at the Servitors, changing his position every few moments. Positioning himself in front of his Servitors, Skolas did what he could to block out Niko's assault while the rest of Undaunted waited for their opportunity to attack. Tobias licked his lips as he watched Niko dash around Skolas, attacking from all over the place.

Tobias already knew what Niko was hinting for him to do. It was one of the maneuvers they had discussed in his training session back on Earth.

Niko was skilled at being a pest on the battlefield, doing whatever he could to gain the enemy's full attention. And in doing so, it would make them vulnerable to an all-out assault from his teammates. Something which Tobias was ready to deliver.

Firing at Niko with his scorch cannon, Skolas gave a roar of annoyance as the Hunter zipped away from him, easily evading the attack. Skolas was almost too focused on Niko.

Briggs raised his auto rifle and fired at the Servitors, but Skolas responded to the sound of the weapon being fired. Whirling around the placing himself in the path of the bullets, Skolas shot the rest of them a sharp glance. He wouldn't be distracted by one of them so easily.

"Go Niko!" Briggs called out, causing Skolas to spin around in search of the Hunter. But he was nowhere in sight, leaving Skolas dumbfounded.

"Hah!" Tobias shouted as he gained a bright blue glow, successfully activating Arc Blade. His muscles seemed to expand as he grew a bit larger before he burst forward toward Skolas. The Kell glanced in the direction of Tobias' shout, but he only had a moment to react as Skolas closed the distance between them in an instant.

Raising his scorch cannon, Skolas placed it intercept the downward swipe from Tobias' tanto, but Skolas was completely shocked to have his arm and weapon get thrown down from Tobias' attack. Skolas wasn't hurt, but the strength Tobias possessed was impressive. Now that he had knocked away Skolas' initial defense, Tobias spun and lashed out with his leg at Skolas' head, which sent the Kell to the ground with a heavy thud.

Diana and Briggs took just a moment to admire the fact that Tobias had just knocked over a Fallen Kell with just one kick. It certainly wasn't what they expected to see, but now they had a large window of opportunity to remove these Servitors.

"Good hit Tobias!" Niko called out as he pumped his fist.

Briggs and Diana jumped at the Servitors, each of them putting a few rounds from their secondary into the round body of the Servitors which caused each of them to explode. Upon seeing the destruction of his Servitors, Skolas gave a roar as the aura that surrounded him faded away.

"He's vulnerable now, take him out!" Briggs commanded.

"I'm all over it!" Diana shouted. She was already above Skolas, her hands glowing brightly as she pitched a sphere of Void Light down at Skolas. But this time it grew, becoming a spiraling vortex that engulfed Skolas within it.

"Give it everything you've got!" Briggs added as all of them began to unload a magazine of their primary weapons into the vortex, whittling away at Skolas who stood within it. Eventually the vortex faded away, allowing them to see that Skolas was still standing, completely straight at the moment. But then began to sway as he dropped his scorch cannon which blew up after hitting the ground beside him.

"He's weak, finish him!" Briggs called out. Tobias was the first to respond to this, eager to finish of this Kell while they had the chance. And with his speed boost thanks to Arc Blade, he was the first to get close to Skolas as well. But as he reached Skolas and thrusted his tanto at the Kell, Tobias was swatted away.

Skolas growled furiously as he shot them all a menacing glare.

He understood that the Guardians we a threat, but this group that stood before him right now. They were challenging him. Despite their appearance, they were much more than what they seemed to be.

"Guardians, great danger!" Variks declared over the comms. "Skolas without invulnerability is-!"

"Gah!" Niko shouted, interrupting Variks as he received a blow to his stomach that sent him flying backward. Briggs' head snapped to his left where he found Skolas standing where Niko had previously been. The Fallen Kell returned Briggs' gaze before snatching up from the ground with one his lower arms, holding the Titan by his neck.

Briggs was shocked as he stared at Skolas before he realized what Varicks had been trying to warn them about. For the invulnerability, Skolas had to protect his Servitors. But if they were lost, this battle tested Kell's speed would rise tenfold. He was either as strong as a tank, or as quick as lightning.

Skolas looked away from Briggs as he closed his hand, crushing Titan. Briggs' eyes went dark as Skolas dropped his mangled form, focusing on Niko again as he got back onto his feet. Time seemed to stop for Tobias as he watched the heap that was Briggs' body hit the ground. He had barely gotten to know the Titan that had commanded this fireteam…and now, he was dead. It all happened so fast!

"Tobias, where's your head at. Don't freeze now!" Diana barked at him, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Quick, grab his Ghost and bring it here!"

His Ghost?

Looking at Briggs' form, he could see the mechanical corpse begin to fade away, allowing a Ghost to rise up from it.

"That's right, it's not over." Tobias said to himself. He still didn't quickly understand the whole resurrection thing, but he had seen it himself already. It was definitely possible. Dashing over to Briggs' Ghost, Tobias snatched it up and delivered it to Diana.

"So you think your badass because you fast now? Let's see what you got!" Niko sneered at Skolas as he checked his blind spots repeatedly. Skolas was just playing with him at the moment as he raced around Niko as a blur, tapping him occasionally to prove that he could land a blow at any given moment.

Feeling Skolas shove his shoulder, Niko exhaled before grabbing his tanto blade, channeling Arc Light throughout the weapon and his body. Gaining a coat of electricity, Niko became a blur as well as he and Skolas bounded around the platform, small clangs of metal marking where they crossed paths. Niko's blade against the many claws that Skolas had.

Observing the duel between Niko and Skolas, Tobias dashed alongside them, looking for a moment where he could intervene to help Niko. But he quickly came skidding to a halt as the two of them separated themselves from him constantly. Both of them were just too fast for him to keep up with them. It was beyond what he was currently capable of. Everything was happening to quickly. Just trying to match their pace was difficult, but then he would have to be able to attack and defend while moving at that speed…he was better off trusting this to Niko at the moment.

Skolas now had to admit that these Guardians weren't mere pests because of their size. They were the real deal as warriors. Tobias possessed fearsome strength, and Niko was lightning fast. But there was another ability they possessed that he refused to believe in, until he finally saw it himself. The Exo Titan he had killed minutes ago, Skolas witnessed the body of Briggs-6 rematerialize around his Ghost.

He had heard reports from his underlings while he was in the Prison of Elders, that these Guardians could keep bringing each other back to life. The only way to truly kill them was to get their Ghosts or risk fighting a seemingly endless battle.

Briggs shot up from the ground once he had been revived, immediately recalling his position and situation.

"How long have I been gone?" He asked as he looked toward Diana.

"Just a few minutes Iggy. We didn't want you to miss any of the actions." Diana replied sweetly as he rose to his feet. "Niko kept Skolas busy for us, so remember to thank him later."

"I'll, consider it." Briggs replied as he rolled each of his shoulders. "Ghost, give Gjallarhorn to Diana."

Diana was shocked as the beautifully crafted rocket launcher was placed into her hands.

"What are you doing?" Diana asked him.

"You're going to need that to deliver the final blow." He replied as he took a few steps forward, his body gaining a purple glow. Thrusting out his arms, Briggs placed a Ward of Dawn down in preparation for their next strategy. "Niko, lead Skolas straight to me. Diana, Tobias, get ready."

"I'm on it!" Niko replied as he bounced away from Skolas, heading toward Briggs now. Passing through the Ward of Dawn, Niko came skidding to a stop on the other side be Diana and Tobias, waiting to see what Briggs had in mind.

"An age old question among humans is who prevails when an unstoppable force hits an immovable object." Briggs began as he planted his feet and braced himself with his arms outstretched.

All three of his teammates were in awe to see that Skolas, how had previously been a blur to them, suddenly come a halt. As Skolas had attempted to pass through Briggs' Ward of Dawn, the Titan grabbed onto the left leg of the Kell. With all of his might and the powerful shielding of the Armor of Light within his bubble, Briggs had actually managed to pin down Skolas.

"Punish him!" Briggs grunted as Skolas snarled as he tried to rip himself free from Briggs. But it was like his leg had been locked into cement as Briggs held it down. And since Skolas was almost three times the size of Briggs, his upper body was outside of the Ward of Dawn, and completely open for attack from the rest of fireteam Undaunted.

Diana and Tobias began to pelt him with Vortex grenades while Niko had backed away in order to prepare for one final attack.

"I'm going to end it here guys!" Niko declared as he began to channel even more Arc Light into his tanto, lengthening the blade to the point where it was as long as a broadsword. "Hah!"

Niko leapt forward, charging toward Skolas, and with every step his speed increased. Leaving everyone's sight all together, Diana and Tobias now looked toward Skolas to see what Niko had done. There was brief moment of silence before one Skolas' massive horns dropped to the ground, having been severed from his body. Skolas howled in pain as he fought wildly now to break away from Briggs.

"Crap, I swung late." Niko exclaimed as he reappeared, having an opportunity to look at his handy work. He wanted to cut Skolas in two through his torso, but his timing was off.

"Niko, you had better get him this time!" Briggs ordered, causing Skolas to glance back at the Hunter who was charging up for a second attempt. The Fallen Kell knew that he wouldn't survive something like that, nor was he going to test his luck and hope that Niko would miss again. Clasping his two upper hands together, Skolas began to pound on Briggs' Ward of Dawn, each hit meeting it with an audible boom. "You'll have to be quick Niko!"

Briggs' focus was all over the place. With the need for him to focus all of his strength on holding down Skolas, he could feel his Ward of Dawn fading under the assault from the Kell.

"Tobias, get ready to dash in there just in case." Diana called out to him. Tobias gave her a nod as he leaned forward onto his toes, ready for action.

"Here I go!" Niko shouted.

Niko burst forward once again, and time came to a standstill as he sped up. He tightened his grasp on the handle of his blade. This was where this battle would come to a close.

Skolas slammed his hands down onto the Ward of Dawn one last time, and the shield finally collapsed. As the protective shield vanished, Skolas used on of his lower arms to snatch up the Titan from the ground. Niko's eyes became wide as he saw Skolas quickly move Briggs directly into his line of attack, forcing Niko to turn away. Skolas had barely escaped from this finishing blow, much to everyone's dismay.

Briggs' optics widened as he saw Skolas' other arm grab onto his legs now, beginning to pull him in two different directions. His body began to creak as his torso was ripped apart from his hips. Briggs' eyes went dark once again as his head dropped.

"Let go of him!" Diana screamed as Tobias took off now. He knew that he had to grab Briggs' Ghost if they were going to bring him back once again. But as he approached Skolas, Tobias was crushed by a chop from Skolas' free hand, slamming him down into the ground which quaked momentarily. Tobias was out cold in an imprint of his body.

With wide eyes, Diana called for her fusion rifle and began to charge the weapon up. But before she could fire, Skolas was already in front of her where he batted her away with the back of his forearm. Diana was sent tumbling away. Niko rushed at Skolas, his blade raised. But Skolas was more than prepared for this as he spun around Niko's attacked and batted him into Diana who had jumped back to her feet.

Diana groaned as she was hit by the large body of Niko which sent both of them to the ground. But together they quickly helped each other to get back up to reengage.

Skolas however, feeling Briggs' body disappear from his hands, looked down to see his small Ghost trying to slip away from him, fleeing to the Guardians for protection. But Skolas didn't waste a moment grabbing it before it could get away. He wasn't going to let this fight continue any longer than it had to. Allowing them to bring Briggs back would put him right back at square one. Looking toward the end of the platform where the portals were open, Skolas made a simple decision.

Seeing Skolas approach the time portal with Briggs' Ghost in his possession, a sense of dread washed over Diana as she released her hold on Gjallarhorn.

"No." She said softly as she reached out. Skolas hurled Briggs' Ghost into the portal. The small drone disappeared in a small flash of light, leaving Diana and Niko to stare at Skolas. "IGGY~!"

Diana took off in a sprint, her sights set firmly on the portal. She was going to pursue Briggs!

Realizing this, Skolas stepped aside for Diana to enter the portal. Skolas had yet to gain full control of the network, so these open portals led to random points in time, none of which he could identify. If Diana wanted to throw herself into the flow of time, who was he to stop her? One less Guardian for him to deal with.

"Diana!" Niko barked at her as he cut her off, grabbing her by her waist to stop her from diving into the portal. Niko had seen everything as well, but he couldn't allow Diana to follow through on such a reckless action. "You can't go in there. We have no idea where his Ghost was just sent to!"

"I don't care! I have to rescue him!" Diana responded desperately, trying to break free from his grip.

"You don't even know if you can come back from wherever or whenever you go!" Niko pointed out to her, but Diana didn't stop struggling.

"Just…Just let me…rescue him!" Diana barked back at him.

Skolas watched as the team he had been fighting fell into disarray. One remained unconscious on the ground, another was no lost in time. The third was trying to keep their last member from jumping into the portals to pursue their lost comrade. As strong as these Guardians where, their human hearts were showing their weaknesses right now. Their purpose was to stop him, and yet the two Guardians that should have been trying weren't even doing that anymore.

Looking toward the three confluxes where the Mind Core was located, Skolas perked up as the pillars of data that surrounded the Mind Core dispersed. It was now floating by itself, shining brightly. It was finally ready.

Approaching the Mind Core, Skolas reached out and placed one hand on it. He was overwhelmed for a moment as information began to pour into his head. But none of that mattered. He had reached his ultimate goal. He could return to the Battle of Twilight Gap.

The Mind Core slowly dissolved into Skolas' hand, fusing into him. He was in. He had cracked the Vex network. He could travel through time! Skolas cackled loudly as he now approached the time portal once again, selecting his destination. This was gateway.

"Commander Zavala, we have a worst case scenario!" Diana's Ghost exclaimed as it took over the comms. Barely a minute ago they had been poised to deal the finishing blow to Skolas, but the script had been flipped on them almost instantly when Briggs had been thrown into one of the time portals.

"Diana, get a grip!" Niko shouted at her, and she finally conceded.

"He's…gone." She said in a whisper as she dropped to her knees. Briggs-6 was gone. Skolas had dumped him off into some random point in time, and none of them had any sort of way to track him down. He was gone for good this time.

 _Diana rested in a hospital bed, staring up at the white ceiling with empty eyes. She had been here for two days now, and she had yet to even move from her bed. There was absolutely nothing for her to do here, so she had all of the time in the world to think._

 _She had tried to recall how she had ended up here, but nothing came to mind. The last thing she remembered clearly was that she was on the Amethyst Reef Station when it came under attack by the Fallen House of Wolves. One of the escape pod bays that she was stationed by was being raided, so she had rushed to aid the civilians that were trying to escape there. She easily dispatched a group of Vandals, but then she was attacked by a Wolf Baron. Everything was blur after that._

 _The door to her room slid open, allowing her first visitor to enter the room, a face that Diana hadn't seen in a long time._

 _"Petra?" Diana exclaimed as the grown woman gazed at her. Petra covered her mouth with one hand at the sight of her cousin. Diana's neck and torso were coated in bandages to cover up several second degree burns, and her right leg was in a cast._

 _"Diana, I thought everyone one was gone." Petra said softly as she came to Diana's side._

 _"What do you mean?" Diana asked with a grunt as she struggled to turn her head to the side to look at Petra._

 _"Our family. None of them made it off of Amethyst save for you." Petra said sorrowfully as Diana's eyes became wide. "They're all gone."_

Tears streamed down Diana's cheeks as she angrily pounded the ground. These Wolves had taken everything from her, and still they continued to rob her of what little she had left. She had lost her mother, father, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews to the Wolves. Now she had lost her beloved fireteam leader Briggs-6. She wasn't going to lose anyone else.

Diana closed her hands into tight fists as the turned to look for Skolas now. The Kell stood at the final portal at the very end of the platform. Skolas then turned and barked out one final commander to his forces, and then he stepped through the portal.

"Are you okay?" Niko asked Diana as she got back to her feet now.

"Yeah." She stated as returned to Briggs' Gjallarhorn which she had dropped farther back. Collecting the weapon from the ground, Diana held it tightly.

"Do you have a plan?" Niko asked her curiously, watching as she mounted the weapon on her shoulder, holding it up with just one arm.

"We go back in time…and we kill his ass." She replied.

Niko watched as Diana walked toward the final portal now, the one that Skolas had used. He was curious now though. In all the years he had been Diana's teammate, he had never seen her give in to her anger. He had seen her get flustered, and frustrated over small things, but right now he could tell that she was downright pissed. He had no idea what she was going to see from this moment forward.

A Fist of Havoc gained their attention as Zavala suddenly broke through the Wolves that had been holding back the Guardians from intervening in the duel with Skolas. All of the Guardians had pushed together now, pressing off the Wolves as they secured the final platform.

"What's the situation?" Zavala asked as he rushed over to Niko and Dina.

"We lost Briggs." Niko replied, much to Zavala's disbelief. Briggs was a valuable Titan, and one of his close associates. Zavala took a short breath, giving a short nod of respect for the Titan before focusing on the mission at hand.

"And what about Skolas?" Zavala inquired. The enormous Fallen Kell was missing, so he could only assume the worst.

"He cracked the Vex network. He went back in time through that portal." Niko explained as he motioned to the time gate Diana stood beside.

"Act swiftly Guardian." Variks drawled over the comms. "A paradox will occur if Skolas is not stopped!"

"He's right. We need to get moving." Diana said. "And don't worry Variks, there won't be anything left of him when I'm through with Skolas."

Briggs had entrusted her with this weapon, and she was certain now that she would kill Skolas if it was last thing she did.

"Someone wake up Tobias, and not a word to him about Iggy. We need him to be focused for the next part of the mission." Diana said, receiving a nod from Niko as he approached Tobias' unconscious form.

"Gotcha." Niko said as he drew his small tanto and stooped down beside Tobias. Charging it up with just a bit of Arc Light, the blade began to crackle as Niko now had a devilish smirk. Placing the tip of blade on Tobias' back, this sent a jolt through him which caused Tobias to shake violently for a moment before he jumped up, looking around frantically.

"What happened!?" He shouted as Niko gave him a wave as a greeting.

"I hope you enjoyed that nap there Tobias, cause we have a lot of work to do." Niko replied as he motioned for Tobias to follow him.

"Why, what's going on?"

"Skolas went back in time. We're going after him." Niko revealed.

"Come on guys, there's no time to waste." Diana called out to them. She was anxiously waiting beside the portal for them.

"Oh just go ahead Diana, we're right behind." Niko said to her. She stepped through, leaving the three of them behind.

"Guardians, this is Commander Zavala. Skolas successfully gained control of the Vex network of time portals. What he intends to do, we're not certain. But a fireteam composed of myself and the remaining members of fireteam Undaunted will be pursuing him." Zavala explained to everyone present. "Those of you remaining here must secure the platform and clear out the remaining Wolves. There will be no prisoners, so wipe, them, out."

Having completed his update on the mission, Zavala stepped through the portal, leaving just Tobias and Niko behind.

"Shall we?" Niko said as he stepped through, leaving Tobias behind.

Glancing back at the battleground they had just been on, Tobias could recall the crushing blow he had received that knocked him out. Tobias couldn't deny that he felt rather helpless during this battle, unsure of his part in all of this. But he knew that he had a lot to work on before they fought Skolas again. He had to think faster, and be quicker. Skolas was a worthy foe, and now Tobias was determined to face him again.

Entering the time gate, his surroundings faded to white. Tobias felt as though he had been snatched from the ground that began to pull him through time. A static noise surrounded him, probably from his communications shutting down as it lost track of the signals it had previously been using.

"Tobias?" A male voice whispered to him.

"Huh?" Tobias exclaimed as he looked around. But he couldn't see a thing.

"It's good to see you again. It's been such a long time since we last spoke." The voice continued.

"Who are you?"

"As of right now, that's none of your concern. I'm just glad to see that you're alive and well. My associate has been keeping a close eye on you. I expect the two of you meet sometime soon."

Tobias remained still for a moment, at a loss for words. What the heck was going on?

"What are you talking about?" Tobias called out.

"A great threat looms on the horizon Tobias, and you must prepare for the challenges that are ahead of you-" The voice faded away as they spoke, and Tobias felt a gust of wind.

"Oh crap!" Niko shouted as Tobias was spat out of the time portal, landing right on top of him. "Watch where you're falling Tobias!"

"Did you really just say that?" Tobias asked in a deadpan as the two separated, getting back on their feet.

"I certainly did." Niko shot back at him as he dusted off his cloak. "And I stand by it too."

Tobias rolled his eyes before looking toward Diana and Zavala who had been silent. The two of them were staring out into the distance, which made Tobias take note of his new surroundings. They were near the top of a mountain at the moment, a few trees scattered around them which made it easy for them to see what was waiting down at the base of the mountain.

It was great metropolis that was right beneath the Traveler. The Last City!

But it wasn't quite the same as they remembered.

"I don't believe it. Variks was right." Zavala said in disbelief. With only a quickly glance at the fortifications surrounding the City, Zavala could tell what point in time they had returned to. The Battle of Twilight Gap!

The walls of the Last City were great, but they were still vulnerable. This was one of the first things that Zavala had addressed after had been installed as Vanguard Commander. But to see the walls in their previous state once again meant that this was indeed before he had led the Vanguard.

It was just as Variks had said. Skolas had come back in time to alter the course of history. To make so that the Fallen came out victorious in this battle, and this would spell certain destruction for mankind.

"We have to find Skolas." Diana stated.

"We still have time. By the looks of it, we have a few days before the battle actually begins." Zavala pointed out to them as he studied the terrain.

"Like Diana said though, finding Skolas is the top priority." Niko said.

"Actually, it may not be." Zavala reasoned for a moment. "Skolas may come directly to us."

"How so?" Diana asked curiously.

"The Battle of Twilight Gap was a stalemate for the first few days as the Fallen attacked on different fronts. But eventually they gathered together and broke down the wall, allowing them to get into a portion of the City. Shaxx would lead a counteroffensive to stop this attack, and then charge straight for the heart of the Fallen nobility. This caused them to flee from the City." Zavala explained to them. "The only possible way I could see Skolas changing the outcome of this battle, is by targeting Shaxx's counterattack."

"But that's days from now." Diana exclaimed. "Are we seriously just going to wait for him?"

"Right now, Skolas is a lone here. There's not much he can do." Zavala replied.

"That's all the more reason for us to go after him."

"Keep in mind Diana, anything we do here could affect how the future will play out. Our mere presence could later how something takes place if we act outside of our boundaries. Our duty here is to make sure that history follows its course. If that means waiting on Skolas and countering what he does, then that is what we'll have to do." Zavala said sternly.

Diana sighed before she cast a dark stare out at the horizon, something that went unseen by the rest of the team. This was beyond frustrating. Her blood was boiling and she was ready to fight Skolas. But now she was being told a wait! Possibly a week or more! Taking a deep breath, Diana told herself that she would have to patient if she was going to avenge Briggs.

"So we're going to keeping an eye on Shaxx?" Tobias asked as he recalled the Crucible Handler who he had spoken to shortly. Zavala gave him a nod.

"Do you have any idea where he is? I was stationed at the south gate for pretty much the entire battle." Niko commented, recalling what he had done at the Battle of Twilight Gap.

"Fortunately, Shaxx and I were training under Saladin at the time, so I know exactly where he is throughout the entire battle. At the moment he is in the City though, so we'll just keep tabs on him for now." Zavala said, getting a nod from the Hunter.

"Alright then, lead the way Commander." Diana said as she motioned for Zavala to take charge.

Tobias had been keeping up with most of the conversation, but there was one thing on his mind as he examined the people he was working with. Someone was missing. The leader of Undaunted.

"Uh, hey guys…where's Briggs?" Tobias asked, causing an awkward silence to set in between them group. Diana couldn't find the words, and Zavala stuck to the suggestion that Diana had given him earlier. He wasn't going to say anything.

"Well ah…uh." Niko stammered. He hadn't given it any thought as to how to explain why Briggs wasn't with them to Tobias. 'Crap, I've got nothing!'

"Well Tobias, as you can see, Commander Zavala is very familiar with the Battle of Twilight Gap." Diana's Ghost chimed in as it formed beside Tobias. "Briggs passed leadership to him for this portion of them mission while he is leading the remaining Guardians back in the present to protect the portal we took here."

"I don't remember seeing him though." Tobias said. He had looked around just for a moment before he had come through the portal, and he didn't see Briggs anywhere.

"Briggs is always looking for actions. He was probably in the fray with the rest of the Guardians." Diana's Ghost suggested, getting a nod of agreement from Tobias. That was more than likely what would've happened. Not to mention, Zavala did say exactly where Shaxx was going to be throughout this battle. It only made sense for him to be leading this mission.

"So let's get to work then." Tobias declared.

Diana felt as though a heavy weight had been left from her shoulders thanks to her Ghost. The small drone would run its mouth off sometimes, but at times like this she was glad for being so talkative.

"I owe you one." Diana whispered to her Ghost as Zavala began to lead Tobias and Niko down the mountain.

"Oh, I know." Her Ghost replied with a small twinkle in its optics.

A/N

I've read most if not all of the lore I could find about the Battle of Twilight Gap, so I'm hoping to make it seem legit. If there's one thing I can't figure out though, it's how long this battle took place for. Reading the lore it sounded like it lasted for a while as the Guardians and the Fallen really went at it but mine is rather short. Hopefully it'll be well received though.

My updating schedule is very erratic as I'm sure you've noticed and it'll continue to be that way unfortunately. This is just a side project that I work on in my free time, plus I'm going to busy with all sorts of things. Hopefully I'll be able to settle down by the spring update for Destiny since we're supposed to get something new to do.

Anyway, thanks for the support as always! :D


	8. Forward to the Past

**Chapter 8**

* * *

This was now the second time Tobias found himself riding on a Sparrow, seated behind the driver while he held onto their waist. The team was current zipping in between the thick tree trunks that filled the mountainside they were descending. Each of them were skillfully using the side thrusters of their Sparrows to narrowly avoid crashing. All Tobias knew right now though was that he definitely wanted a Sparrow for himself.

"Commander, do you know where Shaxx is right this second?" Niko asked curiously, testing Zavala's knowledge of this time period.

"Right now I'm under the impression that Ana Bray's team hasn't returned with a report that the Fallen are gathering, which would mean that Shaxx and I are probably training with Lord Saladin outside the City." Zavala replied without a second thought. The coming battle would be a costly one, one that Zavala would remember vividly. And after reflecting on the losses, Zavala spent a great deal of time studying it to further improve the City's defenses.

"Do you know where I was right this second?" Niko asked with a small grin as he glanced back at Zavala for just a moment.

"No one cares Niko." Diana stated flatly.

"Well I wanna know." Niko shot back.

"Hey wait a second." Tobias said, receiving everyone's attention. "We went back in time, so doesn't that mean there's like, a copy of each of us here right now?

"That is correct Guardian." Zavala's Ghost said as it appeared beside the Guardian it was partnered with.

"So if they meet each other, won't that like, destroy time or something to that effect?" Tobias continued, earning a moment of thought from the group.

"I have a bit of speculation that might answer your question Guardian." Zavala's Ghost began. "First and foremost I believe we have entered a temporal loop."

"A what?" Niko asked.

"To keep it short, it's a loop in time." Zavala's Ghost replied. "The Battle of Twilight Gap is an event that stands on its own in history. But because Skolas returned to the past in order to alter history, this battle has been caught in a loop because the history that follows could change."

"So the life we lived up until this point will change if Skolas succeeds here?" Diana clarified.

"Worse. If Skolas succeeds, the victor of this battle will certainly be the Fallen. And if they win, humanity will be wiped off the face of the planet." Ghost stated sullenly. "But, if we were to stop him, history would play out as it's supposed to. The Guardians win at Twilight Gap, the Reef Wars would proceed as they're supposed to and Skolas would return in the future in the to try and change it, and this whole mess starts all over again."

"Whoa, that's trippy." Niko muttered.

"Tell me about." Tobias added. It was tough trying to wrap his head around all this new information.

"So killing Skolas is our only option." Diana concluded, receiving nod form Zavala's Ghost.

"Sounds like it." Niko said.

"But wait, you didn't answer my question. Will time blow up if they meet each other?" Tobias asked.

"We should hope it doesn't." Zavala's Ghost stated.

"Well if my memory is correct, I never met my future self during this battle, so I can only assume that we completed this mission without meeting ourselves from this time." Zavala pointed out.

"Yeah, that's true, I didn't meet a future Niko either. I'm pretty sure I'd remember meeting someone as good looking as myself." Niko noted, getting a collective sigh from the group.

 **The Last City**

 **South Residential District**

Getting into the City was far too easy. The guards stationed at the entrance to the wall didn't even question them. They looked at the team up and down and welcome them in. It was easy to identify them as Guardians, but Zavala couldn't believe that they didn't even verify with the Tower about a team of returning Guardians.

Zavala clicked his tongue as they entered humanity's last sanctuary. He was glad that he had gone out of his way to tighten up security around the wall when he became Vanguard Commander. This was one reason why the losses from Twilight Gap were so high. The defense of the City wasn't taken seriously by everyone.

They were still overconfident from their victory at the Battle of Six Fronts.

"What's the matter Commander?" Niko asked in response, noticing Zavala's irritation.

"I've looked over this battle countless times, and I could tell that we got caught by surprise by the Fallen because we were arrogant at the time. But to see it for myself…" Zavala trailed off as they approached a large elevator that could take hundreds of people at a time.

"Hey, a win is a win." Niko reasoned, although this didn't sit well with Zavala. They had won this battle, but the losses were so great. So many young Guardians sacrificed themselves. Losses that could've been avoided if they were better prepared. And the worst part was that they had time to prepare for this as well.

The elevator doors opened up for them to step in, revealing that it was open on the other side for them to look at the grand take a look at the grand metropolis that they would be protecting. Skyscrapers so tall that it appeared as though they could touch the Traveler. Hovering transports zoomed by above the crowded streets below.

Tobias marveled audibly as they arrived at the ground level where the elevator came to a stop, allowing them to step off. Even though the citizens were constantly moving, many of them who noticed the team of four took the time to wave to them, giving a shout of thanks for their efforts.

"Niko, do you have any extra cloaks?" Zavala asked the Hunter.

"Yeah, why do you ask?" Niko asked in return.

"I would prefer if we don't stand out. I don't want to do anything that could disrupt the time loop."

"Good call." Niko said with a nod as his Ghost summoned three cloaks for him to hand out to the rest of the team.

"Why do you have so many New Monarchy cloaks?" Diana asked as she donned the cloak, raising the hood over her head. All three of them were wearing the signature red and white of New Monarchy with the insignia of the faction located somewhere on it.

"I like the red and white. I've been told I look good in it." Niko shot back with a grin.

"Whatever." Diana said as she shook her head.

"I can dig this." Tobias noted as he spun around, watching the cloak flutter a bit before dropped back down. He felt more heroic with a cloak, if that made any sense.

"These will have to do. Our priority right now is finding Shaxx." Zavala pointed out, refocusing the group.

"And then what? Are we going to stalk him?" Niko asked curiously, causing Zavala to deadpan before he raised the hood over his head.

"Let's get moving." Zavala said as motioned for them to follow him. Traveling through the City, Tobias was in awe. The hustle and bustle of the people. There were markets and stores and homes everywhere. There was a station on every street for people to exit the aircrafts and journey down to the ground below. The New Monarchy cloaks they wore still drew some attention, but nearly as much as when there gear had openly stated that they were with the Vanguard.

"Why can't we just have our Ghost's teleport us to where we're going?" Niko asked Zavala.

"Any kind of activity from our Ghosts especially will gain the attention of the Ghosts that actually belong to this period of time. It's better not to take any risks that could affect the outcome of this battle." Zavala replied as the group entered a station, using the escalators to get to the upper levels where multiple transports were getting ready to depart.

"Aww man. I hate flying around in the public transports." Niko said with a groan.

"Why's that?" Tobias asked.

Not even a minute later, Tobias found himself pressed against the window a small aircraft that only had a few seats, all of which were occupied when they entered. They had no choice but to stand, and with the sheer number of people that were using this transport, they were all tightly packed together.

"See what I mean?" Niko said as he struggled to move about. "No elbow room whatsoever."

"Destination, District 15. This transport is now departing." A monotone voice announced for them as the doors shut. They began to rise for a few moments before they swung out into the busy airway, weaving through traffic as they raced toward one of the most densely populated areas of the City.

Soon enough they arrived at the station and they quickly made the journey down to streets were they could see attractions, restaurants, hotels, bars all over the place.

"Our first objective is to find a place of lodging to rest." Zavala said, getting nod from his team members.

"There's a few affordable hotels in this area." Diana's Ghost pointed out.

"That's a good start. Once we have a base, we'll starting find Shaxx and monitor him in rotating shifts." Zavala explained. "Let's get to work."

* * *

"Why can't I have my own room?" Tobias exclaimed as he, Diana and Zavala came to a stop in front of the room Zavala had rented for himself and Tobias.

"Because you have no glimmer." Diana stated.

"Come on guys, I'll pay you back when we get back to our time." Tobias replied.

"We have limited funds Tobias and we don't actually know how long we'll be here for. The last thing we should do is waste money renting separate rooms." Zavala explained as he swiped the key card and entered the room.

"Wait, we have to share this room with Niko too?" Tobias asked, receiving a nod from Zavala before they looked at their hotel room.

There was only one king sized bed.

Diana burst into a fit of laughter as she gave them a wave, wishing them luck as she went off to her room.

"Well then, I'll take the night watches." Zavala stated. He could sleep during the day while the rest of them were busy.

"Not cool!" Tobias shouted as he realized he would have to figure this out with Niko now.

* * *

It was dark out when Niko arrived at the hotel they were staying at while Zavala left to follow Shaxx.

"What are you doing Tobias?" Niko asked as he watched Tobias place a line of tap down the center of the bed.

"This is my half, that's yours." Tobias stated, getting a chuckle from Niko.

"Tobias, I'm not going to do anything to you in your sleep, you know, besides put your hand in a cup of water." Niko said, causing Tobias to frown. "But that's beside the point, I won't do anything to you. You have my word as a Hunter."

Tobias only gave him a narrow stare in response. Hunters specialized in deception, didn't they? Tobias shrugged off the thought as he began to removed his armor and garments. It was then that Tobias realized this was the first time in days that he had taken off his clothes. And boy did he need a shower.

Niko hopped onto the bed and flipped on the television monitor in search of something to watch while Tobias disappeared into the bathroom. There wasn't much to watch though. There were no sports games to watch, and he didn't really feel like watching a movie. Soon enough though, he settled on the news. It was kind of funny watching the news since he could actually remember this news report.

After some time Tobias finally exited the shower with nothing but a towel around his waist, and Niko saw something that immediately drew his attention.

"Tobias, what the heck are those?" Niko asked him. The two small markings on Tobias' face were actually just the beginning of a massive line work that traveled throughout his body. On his back seemed to be the centerpiece of it all as everything met up into a large circle with several small designs making up the middle of it. It was a masterpiece that none of them had seen since it had been hidden underneath his armor.

"These?" Tobias asked as he motioned to the artwork on his body. "I don't know, I thought everyone had something like this."

"It's usually limited to our face. But this just looks sick!" Niko exclaimed.

"Thanks." Tobias said as he changed into the t-shirt and shorts that were in the chrome colored dresser.

"Send your suit down to the laundry; they'll clean it for you." Niko said as he motioned to the laundry chute. "Just put a tag on it with our room number and you'll get it back by the morning."

"Awesome." Tobias said, because his suit smelled terrible. But that's what happens when you spend over a week on the battlefield.

"I think I'm gonna hit the hay now." Niko said as he shut off the television and laid back on the bed.

"Yeah, I got the early shift with Diana." Tobias said. He didn't actually know what to do on a stake out, so Diana agreed to show him the ropes during her shift in the morning, and then he would take over for the afternoon.

"Alright, good night." Niko said as Tobias slipped under the covers on his side of the bed.

"Good night." Tobias replied as he got comfortable before taking a deep breath. He finally had some time to relax. From the moment he had woken up that morning to take part in a Crucible match, things had been moving so quickly. He joined Undaunted and they began training him to fight the House of Wolves. Before he knew it, he was in the heat of battle, fighting Wolf Barons in the Cosmodrome Wall. Then he made a straight shot to Venus to actually fight Skolas, Kell of the Wolves. It's been a crazy week for him.

But he couldn't deny that he was having fun. The action was nonstop. And even though it was slow, he was getting stronger.

The silence in the room was broken by a prudent sound from Niko's rear end.

"Niko, what was that?"

"Sorry."

 **City Perimeter**

 **Twilight Gap**

Skolas remained silent, his eyes sharp as he approached the military base that was nestled into the mountainside. He was alone now. No allies.

But the thought didn't even cross his mind. All he could think about was the prophecy from the House of Rain. The legend that a Fallen warrior would rise one day and unite the Fallen Houses, restore them to the glory they previously held and lead them to reclaim the Great Machine. _He_ would be the one to complete the prophecy. To lead the Fallen to the promised land.

He would become the Kell of Kells.

Upon being freed from the Prison of Elders, Skolas learned what took place at Twilight Gap and how the Fallen had been devastated by Shaxx and the Guardians when victory seemed so close. Skolas had met with a few members of the Wolves who had thoroughly researched what took place in Twilight Gap, and what he learned from them he would put into action now.

The House of Winter, Devils and Kings had gathered together. If he could take them over, he could certainly lead them to victory in the Battle of Twilight Gap.

But only one person stood in his way.

The Kell of the Kings.

This Kell was deceitful and cunning. After all, the Kell of the Kings had managed to convince three different Houses to band together for this attack.

Killing him was out of the question, and gaining his trust would prove to be challenge. But the latter was more likely to happen.

Skolas gave himself a small nod as now stood at the entrance to the fort where a pair of Barons stood before him. They had unsheathed their swords as he approached, but they soon recognized him and separated, allowing him to enter the base. Entering the base, Skolas looked around, spotting Vandals and Captains in the rafters above that were watching him.

Their numbers dwindled as he looked at the corridor to his right. That must have been were the Kell was residing. Heading up the corridor, Skolas soon found himself coming out into an open area where he could see the Kell of the Kings standing alone, observing the Traveler that rested in the distance.

 **"** **So the reports were true. Skolas has indeed arrived."**

 **"** **I wasn't going to let an opportunity like this slip by. That pitiful race has sat in the graces of the Great Machine for far too long."** Skolas replied, speaking in his native tongue. **"It's time to reclaim what is rightfully ours."**

 **"** **My attendants informed me that you arrived alone. Where is Virixas, your Kell."**

Skolas blinked, letting that settle in for a moment before he remembered that he gone back in time. He had been Kell of the Wolves for decades, but as of this very moment in time, Virixas was still alive and recognized as the Kell of the Wolves.

 **"** **I lost contact with them traveling through the asteroid belt. We met some opposition that is likely keeping the rest of them busy."**

 **"I see, that explains your wounds. But what use are you to me then?** **"**

 **"** **What?"** Skolas asked sharply, leering at the back of the Kell that stood before him. The Kell of the Kings hadn't even turned around to face him. They were equals yet the Kell acted as though he was greater than Skolas.

 **"** **The goal was to unleash the full might of the Eliksni and reclaim the Great Machine. Without the Wolves, your presence here is meaningless."**

 **"** **Alone I can provide more than anything my House could give you. Their support was just a bonus."**

 **"** **And what do you possess that could possibly be worth more than the power of an entire House?"** The Kell of Kings inquired.

 **"** **I've spent a great deal of time studying the warriors that protect the Great Machine. If you allow me to lead this force, I'm certain that I could defeat them."**

The Kell of the Kings glanced back at Skolas for just a moment before returning its gaze to the Traveler. Skolas' arrival was odd.

Virixas had said that they had engaged the Awoken in the asteroid belt. So how did Skolas get here if none of the other Wolves' nobility was still locked in combat? Something was off. The Kell would definitely be keeping a close eye on Skolas.

 **"** **Your reputation precedes you Skolas."** The Kell said after a short pause. **"Virixas often said you were headstrong. But I have a request."**

* * *

The sky had grown dark as Skolas left the military base moving at a comfortable pace. The Kell of the Kings had given him a task.

There was band of Hunters that had been snooping around the fort that the Fallen had been using as a base, and Skolas had been given the order to eliminate them. It was likely that they would be the ones to report to the City of the coming Fallen invasion, so taking care of this small matter was of the utmost importance.

But this was also an important opportunity.

He needed to get rid of the Kell of Kings. And using the Guardians would probably be the quickest way to remove this obstacle.

If Skolas could get the Guardians to send a force to come hunt down the Kell of the Kings, he could then assume control of the Fallen House. And winning the Battle of Twilight Gap would be no trouble.

All he would have to do is allow these Hunters to escape and give their report to the other Guardians. Surely if they reported the presence of a Kell if would cause them to act.

Skolas perked up a bit, sensing the presence of a small group not too far from him. This was probably the group he was looking for.

Ana Bray found herself seated around a small campfire with two of her close companions surrounding the flames as well. They had ventured beyond the protective walls of the City once again for a routine check on the enemies that surrounded their home. But what they found this time around had their hearts racing.

"I've never seen so much Fallen at once." Ana said in bewilderment.

"And it's not just one House. I've seen at least three different banners."

"Are they teaming up to attack us?"

"It seems likely. The Fallen never struck me as organized, but it looks like I was wrong." Ana stated. "The City needs to know what's happening out here. If the Fallen are going to attack, we have to warn them at least."

"Right."

"Ana, what do you want me to do?" A young female voice asked through a private channel for the team.

"Carmen, I want you to stay and keep an ongoing report about their movements. If they begin to act, the City has to know." Ana replied.

"You got it." She replied.

The pair of Hunters with Ana perked up as their heads snapped to look in the same direction.

"What's the matter?" Ana asked as she noticed that the two of them were reaching for their weapons.

"Something's coming." They replied. Ana furrowed her brow as she peered into the surrounding forest. They had gone a considerable distance from the Fallen stronghold, why would they come all the way out here? The duo drew their weapons as some heavy and fast paced footsteps came racing toward them.

"Here it comes!" Both of them jumped to their feet, readying their weapons, but they were completely unprepared for the enemy that burst out from in between the trees.

Skolas roared as he rushed straight for the pair of Hunter that stood between him and Ana Bray. Neither of them could react quickly enough to the fast moving Kell, being knocked away with ease by Skolas who went straight for Ana.

Ana though, responded to Skolas much quicker than her teammates. Using Blink, she evaded Skolas' initial attack, putting some distance between them as she summoned a hand cannon and drew one of the tanto blades she had on her.

"What's a Kell doing here?!"

"We can't stay here, it'll kill us!"

Ana bit down on her lower lip. They didn't have many options. They were only a scout team, sent out to investigate. Fighting a Fallen Kell was the last thing they planned on doing.

"Scatter!" Ana hollered as she took a few pot shots at Skolas to draw his attention. The pair of Hunters that had been accompanying her activated their cloaking, vanishing into the night.

With Skolas' complete attention, Ana raised her weapons in preparation for whatever the Kell was going to throw at her. Skolas gave a low growl before he charged at Ana once again, raising all of his arms to attack. For such a large beast, Ana was astounded by how quickly Skolas could move. But something felt off about this Kell as she dodged his straightforward attack once again.

Skolas was unarmed. He was alone. And he seemed to be injured as well. Ana couldn't think of an answer as to why a Fallen Kell would act alone while he was injured and weaponless. It didn't make any sense. But this might have been an opportunity. If she could kill this Kell, it was very possible that this approaching invasion could be stomped out before it could take place.

Jumping backward to take some distance from Skolas again, she studied him quickly once again. He was breathing heavily, clearly favoring his right side which happened to be the side that didn't have a massive horn protruding from his back. Was he injured in an earlier battle?

Ana shook her head. She didn't have time to worry about any of this. She had a chance here and she wasn't going to let it go to waste. Skolas charged at her once again, but Ana had already seen this move twice now. It was nothing she couldn't avoid. Unlike the past few times, she only stepped to the side, barely leaving the path of Skolas' attack, but leaving herself in position to strike as he passed by her. Raising the tanto that she held, Ana slammed the point of the blade into the open wound where Skolas' second horn previously was. The blade pierced right through his flesh, gaining a roar of pain from Skolas as he came skidding to a halt.

Collapsing to his hands and knees, Skolas was shocked by the immense pain. It was even worse than when Niko had severed his horn. Invulnerability would be great right now, but he couldn't even summon the Servitors that gave him that power. He was on his own right now.

Ana approached Skolas who was writhing in pain with low growls. She had to end this now. Drawing another tanto from sheath that was strapped to her thigh, Ana ignited the blade with Arc energy. Her weapon extended in length as she came up beside Skolas who was still taller than her even when he was bent over. But she had a clear view of his neck. This would be the end of this Kell.

Ana raised the tanto over her head, prepared to drop it onto Skolas' neck, but Skolas looked toward her. Ana froze as their gaze met. The eyes of the Kell were sharp and intense, and as Ana stared into his eyes, she could feel the malice that was radiating from Skolas. He was far from dead.

Ana began to lean backward, attempting to get some distance from Skolas, but she wasn't quick enough. He lashed out at her with one of his arms, catching her off guard. With a gasp Ana was sent sailing directly into a nearby trunk which she crashed into before sinking to the ground. The tables had been turned almost instantly as Skolas now stood over Ana, glaring down at her menacingly.

"I think it's time for some Golden Gun~!" A new voice shouted, causing both Ana and Skolas to look up for the source. Up in the air, they could see a silhouette of a Hunter that threw one hand up above their head, igniting their pistol which shined brilliantly in the night.

'Carmen.' Ana said with a sigh of relief. Even though Carmen had disobeyed her orders, she was glad to see her. Carmen fired her Golden Gun just once at Skolas, nailing him right in the face which gained a roar from him as he quickly began moving to avoid being hit again.

"Ana, run!" Carmen shouted as she used her remaining two shots to keep Skolas moving. Taking notice of her chance to escape, Ana quickly darted off into the woods to meet with Carmen as she fell back down into the thick cover of the trees.

Skolas came to a halt once the flaming shots came to an end as he realized that his target had gotten away from him. This didn't bother him though. Those Hunters would report the presence of a Kell leading this massive gathering of Fallen.

Ana had failed to defeat him, but her report of him being weak would certainly attract the Guardians. And he would lead them right to the Kell of the Kings.

Ripping the tanto out of his back, Skolas tossed the weapon aside with a grimace. The first thing he needed was some ether.

Two Vandals wearing cloaks with the symbol of the Kings dropped down from the tree cover, earning Skolas' attention.

 **"** **What are you doing? You can't let them escape!"** One of them howled at him.

 **"** **If you let them get back to their fortress they'll be ready for our attack!"** The other added.

But Skolas only glared at them in response. So the Kell of the Kings had sent spies to watch over him. Skolas appeared behind the two Vandals, snatching them up from the ground by their necks.

 **"** **That's part of my plan."** Skolas sneered as he crushed their necks. Both of them went limp in his hands before he tossed them aside just like the tanto he had removed from his back.

The City would be aware of the Fallen presence soon enough, and the Battle of Twilight Gap would begin. All he had to do now was wait for the Guardians to attack.

 **The Last City**

 **Consensus Hall**

The famous landmark stood near the center of the City, and was the site where some of the most controversial discussions took place. Within the building was a large room that everyone entered from the top, and it descended down into the ground. Seats spiraled downward for an audience. At the very bottom of the room was where the faction leaders met to speak.

The Speaker was present as well, seated on a small balcony part way down.

"I've never been here before." Niko noted as the team of four were seated together, looking up at the holographic monitors that were projected up at the center of the room for the audience to see who was speaking down below.

"You were never missing much." Zavala said in response. As important as these meetings were, he preferred to listen to a recording rather than attend. It felt like a waste of time just sitting here when he could be doing something else.

"Seems like it. Nothing's happening." Tobias pointed out. They had found there seats about a half an hour ago, but the actual meeting had yet to begin.

"It'll start soon." Zavala replied as the Speaker finally called for everyone's attention.

"Just a few hours ago on a private channel, a team of Hunters reported an increase in Fallen activity beyond the walls of our City. This scale of the activity is comparable to when the Fallen first arrived in the Cosmodrome. According to the report, we face threat of a massive Fallen invasion."

The room became deathly silent as the focus now shifted from the Speaker down to the factions leaders down below.

"This isn't the first time the Fallen have attempted to attack us. We've prevailed against them before at the Battle of Six Fronts, and we'll do so again." A middle man wearing a purple, red and yellow robe asked. He was clearly a representative of the Future War Cult.

"But at what cost?" A younger man asked in return. He was dressed in black and white with the insignia of Dead Orbit on the back of his cloak.

"The cost isn't even something we should think about. We've been surrounded by our enemies since the City was established." The FWC representative said as he folded his arms. "Running from our enemies will get us nowhere."

"I couldn't agree more." A strong voice stated, drawing their attention. One of the few Guardians in attendance rose from their seat. It was Shaxx. "It's time we pressed the offensive against our enemies, especially with them camped around our city."

"Now is not the time to charge blindly at our enemy." Another burly voice stated. It was another Titan that was just as tall as Shaxx, although he was recognized by everyone in the audience. Saladin Forge. "Our highest priority right now is defending the City. All of our available resources should be directed toward this effort. If we gather ourselves together and defend the walls just like at Six Fronts, we will come away victorious once again."

"This isn't the same as the Six Fronts. The team of Hunters led by Ana Bray confirmed that the presence of a Fallen Kell. The Fallen will surely be more organized than they were at Six Fronts." Shaxx reasoned. "Removing that Kell should be our first move."

"Sending Guardians out to fight a Kell will displace them from where they should be. Protecting the walls. As long as these walls stand, we will not perish." Saladin stated much to the dismay of Shaxx.

"I agree wholeheartedly with Lord Saladin." A young man representing New Monarchy said. "The City must stand."

A number of the other faction leaders gave a nod of agreement.

"I propose that we place Lord Saladin in charge of the City's defenses for this impending attack." The New Monarchy representative continued.

"Are all in agreement?" The Speaker asked from his balcony as he looked down at those beneath him. Many hands rose among the representatives. "Is anyone against this motion?"

Shaxx remained silent as he looked toward his mentor. He dared not to oppose him in such a public place, but he couldn't stand the thought of waiting for this invasion when they had an opportunity to possibly cripple the enemy before this battle even began.

Shaxx sat back down as he exhaled. There was no use right now. As much respect as he had for Saladin Forge, Shaxx had to admit that the man was hardheaded and firmly rooted in the past.

"Excellent, then the motion has been approved. Saladin Forge will take the vacant seat of Vanguard Commander during the course of this battle." The Speaker stated.

"I will do everything in my power to make sure that our City stands." Saladin added.

Up in the stands, the four man team lead by Zavala had been quietly listening, but this new bit of information called for them to leave Consensus Hall immediately. The presence of a Fallen Kell.

"The Kell they were talking about, that has to be Skolas." Diana said group exited the building.

"I'll bet it is." Tobias added.

"So what are we waiting for? If we move out now and take care of him, the whole loop thing should work out how it's supposed too. This is our chance." Niko pointed out as the three of them looked toward Zavala who had yet to say anything.

Zavala returned their stares with silence before he sighed.

"We can't act right now, for the exact same reason the Guardians now won't go after him. The sheer number of Fallen that had amassed together at this point, it'd be suicide to send a team in there and cause a ruckus looking for Skolas." Zavala explained.

"Commander, we can handle it. We just came from Venus where Skolas was spitting out Fallen from the House of Wolves like there was no tomorrow." Diana tried to reason with him.

"That was just one Fallen House Diana. The House of Winter, Devils and Kings are present. There are millions of Fallen surrounding the City. Their nobility must be highly protected, especially after Ana Bray's team was exposed." Zavala replied, silencing the team. He could tell that they didn't quite understand the magnitude of this battle.

"What if we to get some help from the Guardians here?" Diana suggested, causing Zavala to shake his head.

"Let me put it like this Diana. This battle is a turning point for the City, and the Guardians that protect it. The Battle of Twilight Gap exposes the Guardians, showing us just how weak we really are." Zavala said sternly.

"What do you mean by that?" Tobias asked.

"The number of truly skilled Guardians that exist right now is astonishingly low. Many Guardians at this point have been teaching themselves through trial and error. They weren't ready for this battle, which is why we lost so many Guardians. This is why the Crucible was created. To train Guardians properly to ensure that when they go out to the battlefield, they are well prepared for almost any situation." Zavala explained. "No matter what we do right now, the Guardians at this time aren't prepared enough to form a strike team to go after Skolas."

"So you're telling us we have to wait?" Diana clarified.

"Yes. Skolas will have to act eventually. And when he does, we'll be ready and waiting." Zavala said as he gave her a nod of assurance.

* * *

A/N

So now we've really broken off from how the story line in HoW went. We've heard the Fallen speak in some rough language in game, so I figured rather just bold their discussions than leave you guys trying to figure out what they might have said through grunts and what not.

I'd like to ask for opinions on my temporal loop concept since they've gone back in time. Does it make sense to you guys? It does to me but I wrote it so I want to know if I'm confusing anyone.

So until next time Guardians :)


	9. Rewind : Battle of Twilight Gap

**Chapter 9**

* * *

The Last City on Earth. Mankind's final stand against the Darkness. For centuries it stood as a beacon of hope, the only place where _anyone_ on Earth could live without fear. But for the first time in a long time, the Last City was in a state of panic. Daily life had come screeching to a halt as the announcement of an impending Fallen invasion reached the public.

Monitors all around the city were periodically playing recordings of many famous figures in the City, all of which were ensuring the citizens that they would be safe. But this could only do so much. The streets were quieter, windows were closed, shops were empty. What little movement there was in the streets was usually the Guardians, frames and soldiers that were moving to their stations.

 **Tower**

 **Hall of Guardians**

Niko hung out on the ledge just outside of the Hall of Guardians, leaning against the glass window as he looked into the room. He still couldn't get over the fact that he had left one Zavala in his hotel room this morning and came to the Tower to see another Zavala having a discussion with Shaxx and Saladin. It was crazy how this battle took place decades ago, but Zavala still looked exactly the same. He didn't grow out his hair or a moustache…or even change his armor. You could stand them up right next to each other and no one would be able to tell the difference.

"So have the two of you read the report from Ana Bray's team?" Saladin asked his students as they stood around the center table.

"Yes Commander." Zavala said while Shaxx gave a nod.

"The Kell they engaged was located near the old military fort, Twilight Gap. Based on that I think its safe to assume that they are using that fort as a command center, and the bulk of their forces will probably be coming from that direction as well." Saladin explained as he pointed out this area on the holographic map they had in front of them.

"We can entrust Kei-Wing and the First Pillar Order to that section of the wall then. With their numbers they should be able to handle the increased activity so long as they have support from the gun batteries." Zavala pointed out, getting a nod of agreement from Saladin.

"I don't want too many Guardians lumped into one area. The Fallen are encamped around us. Their attacks could come from any direction at any given time, so we must have Guardians stationed around the full length of the walls." Saladin added before glancing at his remaining student who hadn't been sharing his thoughts during this discussion. Noticing Saladin's gaze, Zavala looked toward Shaxx as well.

"Are you feeling alright Shaxx?" Zavala asked him curiously.

"You must have something on your mind." Saladin noted, getting a nod from Shaxx.

"I want to know, why the Firebreak Order is remaining in the City." Shaxx stated as he looked at his mentor. Saladin had deployed every Titan Order to the walls except for the Firebreak Order, the only one that Shaxx was closely associated with.

"I have a great deal of respect for the Firebreak Order, but their aggression is unnecessary in this battle. Our defense of the City must be flawless, and I'd prefer to know that the troops I have stationed at each sector will stick to the task they have received." Saladin responded, causing Shaxx to curse under his breath.

The Firebreak Order was well known among the Guardians for a variety of reasons. But the biggest one was their hot blooded nature and recklessness. It wasn't enough for them defend their City and survive another day. They wanted to stomp out anything that threatened City. And it was clear that Saladin wanted no part of this while he led the defense of the City.

"At least deploy them as relief." Shaxx suggested. "The Fallen will likely attack in waves from different areas. Use the Firebreak Order as support for when the fighting intensifies."

"I'll consider it." Saladin replied with a nod of approval. The three of them then looked toward the map once again. The battle was approaching.

 **Northern Perimeter**

"There's another Walker Tank approaching. I'm imputing its coordinates, open fire as soon as you can!" A soldier called out to the man that was seat behind the controls of the gun battery.

"Gotcha, we're locking on right now." The gunner replied as the targeting system confirmed that they were ready to fire. "Firing!"

The double barrels from the gun battery shook violently as they ejected a pair of shells that cut through the air as it raced toward its target. The projectiles curved downward, landing straight onto the approaching Walker Tank, exploding on contact. A thick cloud of black smoke enveloped the tank, hiding it from the sight of the soldiers.

"We've got a hit!" The gunner proclaimed, but the tank stepped out of the smoke, continuing its advance toward the walls of the City.

"Negative, it was ineffective. Contact Kei-Wing, the infantry down there needs to concentrate their fire on that tank to expose its core. If it gets any closer we'll be in its firing range!"

It had been two days since the announcement of the Fallen invasion, and late in the afternoon as the sun began to set, the Fallen descended from the north. The Guardians responded immediately, engaging the Fallen within the thick forts that stood just beyond the walls, fighting them to a standstill. With the aid of the artillery fire from the gun batteries on the walls of the City, the Fallen couldn't advance any closer to the walls.

As the first night began, the Fallen retreated, as if they had only been testing the Guardians' defenses. It wouldn't be until the midway through day two that the Fallen would attack again, this time with Walker Tanks assisting their infantry. The forests outside the walls were set ablaze as the fighting intensified.

"Hold your ground Titans, our walls _will_ stand!" Kei-Wing proclaimed as held up the banner of the First Pillar Titan Order. The banner fluttered wildly from the gusts that passed through, likely from some artillery fire detonating nearby.

 **Hotel**

"Shaxx just got deployed." Zavala stated as he hurriedly locked his shoulder pad into place.

"How do you know?" Tobias asked him as he watched Niko and Zavala equip themselves for the battle at hand.

"We managed to tap into the comm lines the Vanguard was using without our Ghosts." Niko explained.

"That and I knew he'd be deployed tonight as well. During the second night of the battle, the Fallen in the north become _extremely_ aggressive, forcing Saladin to call in reinforcements."

"Whoa, things got that bad on this side of the battle?" Niko asked, receiving a nod from Zavala. He had been on the southern tip of the City, watching over a segment of the walls with a few other Hunters. There hadn't been much action down there, but they didn't hear much about what was taking place in other areas during the battle.

"It got very bad at one point. The First Pillar Order lost a lot of good Titans, including Kei-Wing, their leader at the time." Zavala explained. "Shaxx would lead the Firebreak Order around that area for the next two days as a hunting party basically, warding off the Fallen attacks from the north. Skolas may use that as an opportunity to attack, so we'll follow Shaxx for the time being."

"You'll keep us posted, right?" Tobias asked, receiving a nod from the Titan as he donned his helmet.

"Of course we will." Niko added as he jumped to his feet. "And we're off!"

Watching them head off out the hotel room, Tobias found Diana watching them go as well from the entrance to her room.

"I take it you heard their plans?" Tobias asked her as he stepped out into the corridor.

"Yeah, my Ghost filled me on the details." She replied.

"So, umm…what do we now Diana?" Tobias asked her. This caused Diana to look up in thought.

Tobias had been training and learning from them nonstop since he had been declared Undaunted's newest member. Even during this mission, Niko had told her that Tobias had been practicing how to manipulate Void Light in their hotel room when he had nothing else to do.

"You know what Tobias, I think we should just sit back tonight." Diana suggested, causing Tobias to furrow his brow.

"Uh, why would we do that?" He asked her, almost in disbelief. :There's a huge battle happening right outside the City. How can I just sit back?"

"Well I never said it was going to easy." She said to him, giving his shoulder a light tap. "But you have ot rest your body and your mind. That way when it's really time to fight, you'll have all the energy you're going to need."

Tobias pursed his lips in response. That was good point. Even though Guardians were blessed by the Light, they still needed to rest properly.

"Okay then, do you have anything in mind?" Tobias asked her, getting a small smile from her.

"You've been working really hard Tobias, so I think I'll treat you to dinner."

"What do you have in mind?" Tobias asked her as she met his gaze again.

* * *

Tobias was seated alone in the lobby of the hotel, leaning back as he looked up in thought. Diana had told him to dress casually, so he was now wearing a pair of jeans, a button up shirt and a jacket since it was rather chilly.

He still couldn't understand how Diana could take him out to dinner with a Fallen invasion taking place at this very moment. He was anxious. He wanted to fight, that was for sure. But as he sat here thinking about it…that was all he ever thought about. From the moment he joined Undaunted, he had done nothing but prepare for his next fight.

Maybe a little treat like this would help him relax, just a bit.

"Tobias, are you ready?" A voice asked him, snapping him out of his thoughts.

As he became focused, he found Diana's Ghost hovering right in front of his face.

"Oh, uh yeah I guess." He replied as her Ghost backed off a bit to give him some space/

"Diana sent me to inform you that she will be down shortly." Ghost added.

"That's no problem, it's not like we're in a rush or anything." Tobias replied as he straightened up in his seat.

"…And also, are you familiar with any part of the Awoken culture?"

"No, not really." Tobias said as he shook his head. He didn't know a thing about the Awoken.

"What are you talking about?" Tobias asked.

"Well first and foremost, the invitation for a meal from an Awoken female means that she is…seeking your hand in marriage according to human customs."

"What?!" Tobias exclaimed as he jumped to his feet. "What do you mean marriage!?"

"A bond of union, between two people. A life commitment. Among the Awoken, the female is often times the one who will, make the move, so to speak." Ghost explained, causing Tobias to narrow his gaze as he looked at the small drone.

"Is this some kind of crazy joke?" Tobias asked skeptically. This was too weird. He barely knew Diana, why would she want to marry him?

"I would never do anything like that. But if you need proof, just wait until you see how she's dressed. She's clearly vying for your attention." Her Ghost said as it motioned to the elevator that opened up, revealing Diana as its only passenger.

She stepped out of the elevator wearing a dazzling black dress that hung over one shoulder with a wrap around her waist that hugger her figure. The dressed came to a stop just above her knees, swaying with every move she made. She wore dark stockings and a pair of flats as she approached him. Her short hair had been pulled back into a small bun with the exception of a few locks that framed her face. She had put on a bit of makeup to cover up the markings on the bridge of her nose. Her eyes were bright, her cheeks were rosy, her lips were glossy.

'Damn.' Was all Tobias said as he gulped audibly. She looked stunning!

"Oops, now it looks like I overdressed." Diana noted as she sized up Tobias in casual clothing. It was always weird seeing another Guardian in anything besides their armor.

"Wait, how much did that cost?" Tobias asked her as he motioned to her dress. The hotel provided clothing, most of which you had to pay for. The casual clothing that Tobias received was the cheapest, while Diana had clearly shelled out some money for her dress.

"Five thousand glimmer." She replied, causing Tobias' jaw to drop.

"F-F…Five _thousand_?" He exclaimed.

"Yeah, that's not a bad price for a rental." Diana replied. Five thousand glimmer was nothing for her. Completing a small task for the Vanguard usually paid twice that amount. "What's the big deal Tobias, is this dress to much?"

Diana spun around as she questioned him, showing off her dazzling appearance to Tobias bit down on his lower lip to stop himself from getting lost in his imagination.

"Uh…no it's not a big deal. You look great." Tobias stated, earning a cherry smile from her.

"Aww, thanks Tobias. You're too nice." She said to him as she began to head toward the exit of the lobby. "Now let's get going since the restaurants will probably be closing early. Not too many people have been going out since the battle started."

"See what I was telling you." Diana's Ghost whispered to him as it hovered beside his ear.

"So what am I supposed to say?" Tobias asked in return.

"Just try not to hurt her. As far as I know, the Awoken females aren't too keen on…rejection."

Tobias felt a shiver run down his spine at the thought of Diana torturing him if he were to turn down her proposal. He barely knew her, so there was no way that he could agree to do this. But look at her right now as she waited for him at the front entrance, Tobias found himself staring at an attractive woman. There was no telling what might happen after tonight.

So much for relaxing…

* * *

"Well I think the two of you will be happy to know that you can have any table you want tonight." The hostess said as she motioned to the empty dining area. "I'm sure you've noticed by we haven't had much business he last few days."

"Wow, thank you." Diana said kindly as she pointed out a secluded booth by the windows. "We'll take that one."

"Alright, our waiter will be right with you."

The restaurant was silent as Tobias and Diana ventured over to their table, but thankfully some soft music began to play from the speakers across the room. Diana calmly took a seat before looking up curiously at Tobias. He was still standing, rigid and stiff as a board.

"Are you going to sit down Tobias?" Diana asked him as she motioned to the empty chair opposite her.

"Uh, right." Tobias said as he quickly jumped into his seat. He was distracted by the conversation he had-had with her Ghost. Did Diana really want to marry him of all people? Why would she want to do that? Maybe she wanted something from him. But he had next to nothing. A Proxima Centuri II scout rifle and a full set of Titan armor was all he possessed. Could she have been after…his body?

Tobias shook his head with a snort. He had to think about something else. Get his mind out of the gutter.

"Tobias?" Diana repeated, finally receiving his attention.

"Huh?" He replied, looking up at her.

"I wanted to know what you're going to order." She said for him once again.

"Oh, um, I uh…ummm." Tobias shook his head, a smile forming on his face since he couldn't put together a sentence for her.

"Is something wrong Tobias?" She asked him, leaning forward a bit as she began to examine his face for anything out of the ordinary. Giving his forearm a pinch underneath the table, Tobias took a deep breath as he focused a bit.

"No no, I'm good." He said calmly as he set his sights on the menu in front of him. "Wait, what the heck is…all of this?"

"What do you mean?" Diana asked him as Tobias read through the menu. Not a single dish sounded familiar to him.

"I don't recognize any of this stuff. What happened to a plain burger and fries?"

"A what, and what?" Diana said, confusion evident on her face. "I've never heard of either of those."

"Okay, so the full name is a hamburger. It's made of beef and then cooked on grill. They you add condiments like lettuce, tomatoes, ketchup, whatever you want really. And then French fries are really just fried potato." Tobias explained for her.

" _Fried_ potato?" Diana said incredulously. "Potatoes are a luxury in the Reef since we don't have much space for agriculture. But frying them, are you crazy?"

"Me, crazy?" Tobias said as he motioned to himself. "Fine, we'll ask the waiter then."

And right on cue, the waiter approached their table.

"Good evening, thank you dining with us here. Are the two of you ready to order?" He asked them.

"Well before that, I've got a question for you." Tobias began.

"Ask away."

"Do you guys serve hamburgers here?"

The waiter seemed to be caught off guard by this as he gave Tobias an odd look.

"Now there's something I haven't been asked in a _long_ time." The waiter said. "You might not be aware of this, but bovines or cattle went extinct after the Collapse. Hamburgers haven't been made in centuries now."

"Are you serious?" Tobias exclaimed, startled by the news.

"Don't worry though, a wonderful substitute has been developed if you'd like to try it." The waiter suggested.

"Well I've never eaten a bad hamburger, so I guess it's worth a shot." Tobias reasoned as he shrugged his shoulders. "And I'll take a side of fries if that's possible."

"Sure thing. And what about you miss?" The waiter said as he looked toward Diana.

"I'll just have the chef salad." She replied.

"Excellent, I'll be back shortly."

"Thank you." Diana and Tobias said together as the waiter sauntered off into the kitchen, calling out for the chef to get cooking.

"So just out question Tobias, if those cattle things are extinct right now, how'd you know about the, ham-bo-ger?" Diana asked.

"Hamburger." Tobias corrected her, getting a nod of thanks. "And I don't really know. I just remember eating them, that's all."

Diana pursed her lips at this and tilted her head. That was kind of weird. How would Tobias know about something like this…unless, perhaps he was alive during the Golden Age. Basing this off of the fact that he remembered eating hamburgers was a long shot, but she was curious about his past.

"That reminds me, have you remembered anything at all Tobias?" Diana asked him.

Tobias raised his eyebrows a bit. That was a good question. He had been paying much attention to, anything really since they started fighting the Wolves. But he hadn't managed to remember anything new about himself aside from that one hazy memory. Nothing noteworthy.

"Nope, I don't think I have." He replied. In truth though, he didn't feel like talking about himself. He wanted to change the subject. "Say Diana, do mind if I asked you a couple of questions?"

"Well someone's in a questioning mood tonight." Diana noted with a small smirk.

"I'm just a curious person." Tobias retorted.

"Okay then, go right ahead." She said, inviting him to continue.

"What did you do before you became a Guardian?"

This caused Diana to freeze momentarily, the expression on her face becoming neutral.

"Where did that come from?" She asked in return.

"I hope I'm not being rude or anything, I just haven't been able to remember anything about myself. I thought maybe hearing something about you might jog my memory of give it some kind of kick start." Tobias explained with a shrug. Diana sighed softly, a bit disappointed with her reaction. Of course Tobias didn't mean any harm.

"I'm sorry Tobias. I wasn't trying to be defensive or anything. I just don't talk about my past much." Diana explained. "But it couldn't hurt to talk about it."

Tobias seemed to brighten up as he leaned forward, eager to listen to what Diana was going to share with him.

"Before I became a Guardian, I lived in the Reef like most of the Awoken." She began.

She had mentioned the Reef to him before, but Tobias couldn't picture it. But he wasn't going to interrupt.

"I spent the first few years of my life with my family, but at the age of seven I was given to the Techeuns to be raised as a servant of the Queen." Diana continued, receiving a confused look from Tobias.

"Wait, so your parents _had_ to give you up?" Tobias inquired.

"Yes. Although I don't want it to sound the Queen just goes around stealing children. The Awoken have these dormant abilities, which awaken in _some_ of us. Usually they awaken during childhood, and if a child like that is found, they are taken and trained by the Techeuns." Diana explained.

"So what kind of abilities are we talking about here? Like super strength and heat vision?" Tobias asked, getting a chuckle from Diana.

"Nothing like that. We don't really understand these abilities just yet, and no one has seen the full extent of these. But we have foresight." Diana explained.

"Like, you can see into the future?" Tobias clarified.

"I don't want to say that we can _see_ into the future. But we have these visions, and typically they'll line up with something that takes place down the road." Diana explained, receiving an expression of awe from Tobias.

"Whoa, that's pretty awesome." He stated in wonder. "What else can you guys do?"

"I've heard that they began to manipulate Void Light like the Guardians even though they don't have a connection to the Traveler." Diana added, causing Tobias to raise his eyebrows.

"Wait, so you guys can do stuff just like the Guardians?"

"No, it's a big learning process. Before I left the Reef it was something they had just started to practice." Diana said softly.

"Oh, right. So why did you leave if you were supposed to serve the Queen?" Tobias asked as he refocused their discussion. Diana remained silent for a moment as she recalled the events that had led up to the day she was banished.

"So once I completed my training, I was enrolled into the Royal Guard. From that point forward I was servant of the Queen, although I was granted freedom to live my life how I wanted off duty. I was grateful for that since the Techeuns didn't grant us such privileges. For a while…I was happy, until the Reef Wars began." Diana continued, causing Tobias to perk up at the mention of another battle. "In fact, the Reef Wars are taking place right this second. Skolas and the House of Wolves were supposed to be here with the other Fallen Houses, but the Queen attacked them while they were journeying to the Earth."

"Why'd she do that?"

"Back then the Vanguard had approached the Awoken to form an alliance. When the Battle of Twilight Gap broke out, she quickly realized that the House of Wolves was going to aid the Fallen on Earth. It was an act of good will on her part, but she paid with the blood of her people." Diana explained grimly. "I was on board the Amethyst Reef Station when it was attacked by the Wolves. I was nearly killed there and hospitalized for the rest of the war."

"Geez." Tobias cringed at this. "This isn't…where you died, is it?"

"No, I survived. Barely. But my family who was also on that station didn't fare so well. All of them were killed in the massacre." Diana stated almost scornfully. "That wasn't too long after I had joined the Royal Guard, so I was just meeting a lot of them for the first time. And then all of a sudden, they were all gone."

Tobias took note of Diana's hand which she placed on the table. It had been clenched into a tight fist. Glancing up at her face, he could see that her expression had become hard as well.

"I hated the House of Wolves for this. I wanted them all dead. So you would imagine I was happy to hear that we won the Reef Wars. But the Queen shocked everyone by taking in the House of Wolves to serve her. I couldn't believe it, that she could do something like that after they had killed so many of her people." Diana went on as she shook her head. "This part of my life is where I acted like a fool, but I don't regret my actions in the slightest. I couldn't trust the Fallen living the Reef, so I began to attack them. And I was exiled because of this."

"Exiled?" Tobias exclaimed in disbelief, getting a nod from Diana.

"The Queen had already accepted them. She wanted her people to as well, and it was clear that I disappointed her. So I became an example for anyone who didn't trust the Fallen in the Reef." Diana said sharply. "It was almost as if…she trusted the Wolves more than her own people."

"But that turned out to be a big time mistake." Tobias pointed out, getting a nod from Diana.

"I'm sure she regrets that decision now that the Wolves have rebelled against her."

Diana still held a bit of contempt for the Queen. But she would never wish for anything ill against the Awoken. She only wished that the Queen wasn't so thickheaded and had heeded her warning about the Wolves. The Fallen without a Kell are an anarchic group. Diana could only assume that the Queen saw herself as the Kell of the Wolves since their nobility had been decimated during the Reef Wars. But there was no way that the Fallen would kneel before someone that was not of their race.

"So then, how _did_ you die, if you don't mind me asking?" Tobias asked curiously since this was still unanswered.

"It was right after my banishment actually. Was making the trip to Earth, to the Last City actually. But a detachment from the Cabal had been in orbit around Mars, and they shot me down as I was passing. I was crash landed on Mars." Diana explained as Tobias placed his elbows on the table, fully invested in the story. "That's where I died."

She could vividly remember the moments leading up the crash. The control was flashing repeatedly, telling her that various systems in the ship were failing. She was furiously trying to gain some sort of control over her vessel, but to no avail. The surface of Mars grew closer and closer.

"So you just woke up on Mars and you were a Guardian?" He asked.

"…Not exactly." She said with some uncertainty. "There's a blank spot. My Ghost says that it found me an a Cabal war base."

"Dang, in a war base. How the heck did you get out of there?" Tobias exclaimed.

"We had to get off world, and the only ones with ships that we could use were the Cabal. So we hijacked one of their ships and got the hell out of there." Diana explained, causing her Ghost to form beside her.

"I think you're forgetting to mention who heroically guided you through that war base to make sure you didn't get killed again. Not to mention I was also the one who piloted that Cabal Harvester we stole." Her Ghost interjected. Diana raised her hand to push the small drone aside in reply.

"Yeah yeah, same thing." She said, getting a huff from her Ghost.

"It's not. If it weren't for me, you'd still be on Mars, _dead_ most likely." Her Ghost pointed out.

"Fine then, and I also remember that a certain _heroic_ pilot crashed that Cabal Harvester into the ocean when we got to Earth." Diana added as she looked at her Ghost. It looked away in response, vanishing back to where it had been hiding.

"Wow, so that's how you became a Guardian?" Tobias asked as she returned her gaze to him.

"Yup, it was a blessing in disguise."

"How so?"

"I left the Reef looking for a new start. _Dying_ definitely wasn't part of my plan; neither was becoming a Guardian, but hey, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade." She said with a small smile.

"Lemonade. I haven't had that in forever either." Tobias noted as he realized they hadn't gotten any drinks.

And once again, their right returned right on cue with their meals. Placing down Diana's salad in front her, and Tobias' plate, Tobias was a bit shocked at what he as looking at.

"Is something wrong?" The waiter asked him, noticing Tobias' expression.

"It's…green." He replied, pointing at his hamburger while he looked up at the waiter. The hamburger meat was green!

"As I was saying earlier, in order to make this substitute, we synthesize the components from what we have available. But I can guarantee you that the taste and texture is exactly the same." The waiter assured him with a warm smile. Tobias raised one eyebrow as he nervously studied the patty.

Green meat…from what he could recall, that was dangerous. But then again, times have changed. And there was no way that this could kill him. Hopefully…

Diana watched with a small snort as Tobias picked up his burger with an unsettled expression and raised it to his mouth to take a bit. It was a small, an exploratory taste, just to see what would happen. He painstakingly chewed for a few moments, and at last he swallowed.

"Hey, not bad." He noted, taking another bite.

"So what can I bring you two to drink?" The waiter asked, pleased that Tobias was enjoying his dinner.

"I'll take a ginger ale, and my friend would like a glass of lemonade." Diana replied, getting nod from their server before he went off to get their drinks.

"So this is a French fry?" Diana asked as she snatched one from Tobias' plate, taking a moment to study it.

"Yeah, how have you never had one?"

"Like I said, potatoes are used very sparingly in the Reef. Frying them is out the question." Diana explained as she tasted it, beginning to frown at it. "Yuck, why is it so salty?"

"That's how they should be." Tobias replied with a chuckle.

"Ugh, you can keep them then." Diana said as she focused on her salad now.

Silence ensued as the two of them ate. Diana ate with her eyes closed, allowing Tobias to study her freely.

He never would've thought that she had been exiled from her home. He could understand the action that she had taken against the Wolves, but to be punished so harshly for it by the Queen. Now it was clear why she seemed to be on edge since they started fighting the Wolves. She had lost everything, including their former life to the Wolves.

Diana must have been out for revenge now. As much as she was wasn't showing it, Tobias could feel it. The malevolence that began to radiate from her whenever she so much as mentioned the Wolves. It was her driving force. He would definitely have to keep an eye on her from this point forward.

"So, can I interest you in dessert now?" Their waiter asked as he collected the plates that held their main course.

"Definitely." Diana replied with a bright smile.

"We have a small selection of sundaes for couples to share if you'd like to try that." The waiter suggested as he took the menu and flipped to the back to show the desserts. At the top was a picture of a bowl of ice cream that was beautifully decorated with all sorts sweets on it.

"Oh, we we're not a couple actu-oh my goodness, that looks amazing!" Diana exclaimed as once she saw the sundae. "We'll have it!"

"Okay then, I'll be back shortly." The waiter said as he left them again.

"Diana, what were you saying just now?" Tobias asked her.

"Oh, I was going to tell him we're not a couple. But there's no way I'm passing on this." She said as she motioned to the dessert they had ordered.

"Wait, so you're not trying to marry me?"

Diana stared at him, completely shell shocked by this question.

"What?" She exclaimed.

"Your Ghost, it told me that in the Awoken culture, when a girl asks a guy out, she's trying to marry him." Tobias explained, causing Diana to burst into a fit of laughter, almost falling out of her seat.

"Tobias…this is _just_ dinner. I'm not trying to do anything else to you." She said to him with a smile. "My Ghost is full of crap."

"Yeah, no kidding." Tobias interjected with a huff.

"And sometimes it'll fill people's head with all sorts of garbage." Diana went on. "Do yourself a favor, and take everything it says with a grain of salt."

"Heh, you don't have to tell me twice." Tobias said with a chuckle.

Their sundae arrived, and Diana praised the waiter for how great it looked. Providing each of them with a spoon, the waiter thanked them for coming to their restaurant before leaving the two of them to enjoy their dessert.

"Oh wow, this is awesome." Diana said after having a spoonful. Each of them worked on one side, enjoying every bit of it.

Leaving the spoon his mouth for a moment, Tobias frowned as he watched Diana now. Even though he wouldn't say it out loud, he was a little disappointed that this was dinner and nothing else. What a night though…in fact, he just realized that he hadn't been studying Twilight Gap at all during the last hour or so. He had relaxed quite a bit.

"I'll be right back Tobias, don't finish it without me." She said as she motioned to their dessert.

"Yeah, no problem." He replied a nod as Diana went off to the bathroom.

Once she was inside the facility, her Ghost reappeared, getting a broad grin from Diana.

"You have to tell me where you come up with this stuff." She said to her Ghost, holding her sides as she tried to keep herself from laughing again. "How did you convince him that I wanted to marry him?"

"I can't share my secrets Diana." Her Ghost replied, getting a snort from her. "You could say that it's one of my many talents."

"Oh whatever, I'm just glad we got him to chill out a bit." She said as she raised a hand. "I'd give you a high five but well, you know. Thanks for your help."

"It's never a problem Diana. I aim to please."

* * *

Diana and Tobias spent the next two days practicing together. After hearing that Tobias had been working on manipulating Void Light, Diana continued to build up on this with him. Finally, on the fourth night of the battle, Zavala and Niko returned. Shaxx and the Firebreak Order had pressed off the attack from the north, finally forcing the Fallen to retreat from that direction. They were then withdrawn into the City as other Guardians gathered there to maintain control of the area.

Zavala and Niko had been keeping close watch over Shaxx while he was outside of the City, but Skolas was nowhere to be found. Unfortunately, the two of them had been drawn into the fighting with how dense the Fallen forces were. The forest was littered with them, so just like Shaxx, they returned from the battle exhausted. And this put Tobias in a bit of a predicament.

He was laying in the center of the bed, Zavala to his left, and Niko on his right. Both of them were out cold, but Tobias was wide awake. Zavala was snoring into one ear, while Niko babbled in his sleep about the Fallen he was fighting. Tobias could tolerate one of these at a time, but he couldn't handle both of these at once.

Diana had taken the night shift for tonight now that Zavala and Niko were back, putting all three of the men in their hotel room at once. And now all of the occupied the bed as well.

'I _can't_ do this!' Tobias said to himself. He was still kicking himself for not asking Diana for her room key before she had left. Now he had no way to enter her room. Or did he?

 _"For a Warlock to Blink, we enter and exit the Void to travel short distances."_

Tobias had gotten the hand of using the Hunter's Blink, but pure speed wouldn't get him through a locked door. Theoretically though, a Warlock Blink would be able to. But he still needed a lot of practice with it. But this was also an emergency!

Slipping out of the bed, Tobias went over to the entrance of their room and opened the door to look across the hall at Diana's room. Visualization is the key. If all of the hotel rooms were the same, then he knew exactly what he had to do. Taking one last look into his own room, Tobias then shut the door and approached the door to Diana's.

 _"Think of Void Light as a doorway."_

Keeping this thought in mind, Tobias shut his eyes and began to summon the Light in front of him. Opening his eyes, Tobias looked at the door in front of him, and a small seam opened down the center of it. Stepping into it, Tobias felt a rush as he entered the Void, a dimension that Diana hadn't really described to him.

Taking a moment to glance around, everything was hazy in every direction he looked. There was nothing noteworthy, like it was an empty room. But keeping Diana's warning in mind, Tobias entered the realm as quickly as he could, stepping out through the second seam that had opened in front of him. He had crossed through, exiting the Void quietly as his portal closed up behind him. Tobias then looked around at the room before curiously opening the entrance to the room.

His room was across the hall. He had done it!

"Yes!" Tobias exclaimed in a whisper after shutting the door. He had actually _Blinked_ into Diana's room. "Man I rock sometimes."

Taking a moment to enjoy the silence that filled this room, Tobias knew for certain that he would have no trouble sleeping here. Quickly diving onto the bed, Tobias found himself a spot that he could sink into before drifting off into sleep.

* * *

Diana entered her room with a yawn having completed her rotation. Now she understood why Zavala and Niko were so tired when they came back. Shaxx was one active Guardian, even after returning from two days of non-stop fighting. Diana had traveled all over the City following Shaxx as he met with various Guardians to discuss tactics and update them on the situation. Diana did this all night and well into the morning before Zavala arrived to relieve her.

She couldn't wait to crash on her bed. But her first priority was a quick bath. It wasn't often she had the luxury of a bathtub such as the one in this hotel, and she was going to take advantage of this as much as she could. Removing her Warlock robes in the walkway, Diana stood in nothing but the skintight suit the Guardians wore underneath their armor. Pulling the zipper in front down a good ways, Diana peeled off a bit of it to let out some of heat as she ventured further into her room. Approaching her dresser, Diana began to rummage through it in search of a towel but a groan from her bed gained her attention. Glancing over her shoulder, Diana spotted Tobias curled up on her bed, sound asleep. Her heart practically jumped into her throat.

"T-Tobias!" She hollered, causing his eyes to snap open. He then jumped to his feet on the bed, his arms as if to fight someone. "What are you doing in my room?! How the hell did you even get in here?!"

Tobias only had a moment to get a grasp on his surroundings before his gaze settled on Diana. He then saw that her suit was partially open, revealing more than he needed to see. In response he slapped his hands over his eyes.

"Diana, you're not decent!" Tobias shouted in returned. This caused Diana to look down, realizing that her chest was exposed. "Don't worry, I didn't see anything. And I won't peek either!"

Diana flushed purple at this.

"Just, get out of here!" She roared, pointing at the door.

Tobias took one step with his eyes covered and fell right off the bed with a hard thud. Diana watched as he rose to his feet, using one hand to feel where he was going while the other placed firmly over his eyes.

* * *

 _"Not a word about this, to anyone." Diana said to Tobias who felt a shiver run down his spine. He wasn't going to tell anyone to begin with, but now his lips were sealed._

"You, are the two of you alright?" Niko asked curiously as he set down his cola on the table they were seated around. The three of them had gone out for lunch to a small diner, but from the moment they left the hotel, Diana and Tobias failed to contribute to the conversations Niko was trying to spark. "The two of you are acting weird."

Diana blushed a bit, causing Niko to raise an eyebrow as she spotted her purple cheeks. It wasn't often that Diana was embarrassed, and she usually had a comeback for most of his comments. But seeing her remain silent caused a smirk to form on Niko's face. This was an opportunity he would certainly take advantage of.

"You know, now that I think about it, Tobias disappeared last night. I wonder if that has anything to do with it." Niko said as he leaned onto the table. Tobias remained completely stoic, as if this morning had never taken place, but Diana was practically violet. "I get it, the two of you were, _busy_ , huh? She kept you all night didn't she Tobias, right? I heard that the Awoken can-"

Niko became silent as he heard the familiar hum of a fusion rifle charging up. Glancing down, he could see that Diana had the weapon concealed underneath the table, aiming at the Hunter who was seated across from her.

"You so much as say another word, and I'll blast you halfway across the block." She warned him, giving him a threatening stare. Niko pursued his lips in response before giving her a nod. Knowing Diana, she would definitely follow through with that threat regardless of their audience.

The silence between them returned as Diana put away her weapon. This was so awkward.

"I'm going to the bathroom." Diana stated as she rose up, leaving Tobias and Niko at the table. Her trip to the bathroom was short as checked herself in the mirror and took a few deep breaths to calm herself. She had regained her composure as she returned to her usual teal color. If Niko found out what happened this morning, she would never hear the end of it. Fortunately, Tobias was tight lipped, so it was up to her if she really wanted to keep this from getting out.

Exiting the bathroom, Diana returned to the table where she could see Tobias and Niko talking animatedly. As she neared them, Niko suddenly gained an expression of disbelief before he howled with laughter. Diana felt her stomach drop at this.

Did Tobias just tell him?!

Arriving at her seat, Niko was silenced almost immediately as he fought to contain his laughter.

"What's so funny?" Diana asked as she looked at each of them, giving them a narrow stare.

"Tobias was just telling me this _great_ story about you." Niko replied as he stifled his laughter. So Tobias did reveal their awkward meeting this morning.

"Oh come Tobias, I thought you could keep a secret." Diana exclaimed as she turned to him.

"Whoa, what are you so upset for?" Niko asked.

"I thought I told you not to tell anyone." Diana said to him, but Tobias remained silent.

"About that? What's the problem? It's happened to me before." Niko pointed out with a grin.

"But you have no shame Niko! There's still a chance that I could end up dating someone in the future." Diana said, leaving Niko dumbfounded.

"Okay, what are you talking about?" Niko asked her, causing Diana to become silent as Tobias looked at her expectantly.

"Uh, what are you talking about?" She asked in return, almost tentatively.

"Tobias was just telling me about how you crashed a Cabal Harvester just to get to Earth. You never told me that." Niko explained as he gave Diana a sly look. "So what are you talking about now?"

"Oh, um…nothing." Diana trailed off as she looked away from him.

"Oh no you don't. You were definitely talking about something, and I want to know!" Niko declared as she rose to his feet, pointing and accusing finger at her.

"It was nothing Niko." Diana insisted, knocking his hand away.

"Tobias, do you know what she's talking about? She can't even look at you, so I know you're involved." Niko said as he directed his attention to his male teammate. But he couldn't get even the slightest reaction from Tobias. His face was completely neutral.

"Nope, I haven't the slightest idea." Tobias replied to Niko's dismay.

"Aww, the two of you are hiding something." Niko said as he shrugged it off. He would find out, eventually.

"Hey guys, check that out." Diana's Ghost said as it formed in the middle of the table. "Things are starting to heat up."

Her Ghost was looking up at the mounted television monitors around the diner, all of which were broadcasting an urgent news report. The scene they were showing was an aerial view showing where a portion of the walls around the City had been destroyed. And the Fallen were flooding into that area.

"Breaking news, we're coming to you live from the northwest sector where the defense line collapsed just moments ago. Citizens in all nearby sectors are to be evacuated immediately. Guardians and soldiers are already on route to the area to contain this as we speak."

From the moment the news anchor had mention that the wall had collapsed, Niko, Diana and Tobias had already left the diner. They didn't have a moment to waste. This was what they had been waiting for. Shaxx's counterattack.

"Ghost, contact Zavala." Diana said to her Ghost as the three of them burst out in the city streets.

"Already on it." It replied as it opened up a private channel between them and the Titan Vanguard.

"Commander, do you copy?" Diana asked.

"Loud and clear Diana. I'm assuming you all are aware that the Fallen have advanced into the City?" He asked in reply.

"Yeah, it's on every TV around here." Niko replied as he looked around the streets. Monitors both big and small were showing the same news report that they had seen in the diner.

"Where's Shaxx?" Tobias asked.

"He's at the Tower currently. His counter attack is about to begin." Zavala replied.

"So what's the plan then?"

"Head directly for the sector that's under attack. Engage the Fallen to give the people evacuating some extra time. We'll meet up from there and begin looking for Skolas." Zavala explained.

"You got it Commander." Diana stated. "We've got our orders boys, let's get moving. Ghost, we need some armor."

"On it!" Her Ghost declared as it summoned her Warlocks robes, placing it directly onto her in a flash. Niko's Ghost did the same for both Niko and Tobias, astonishing the nearby people at the sudden appearance of some Guardians.

"Finally we've got some action." Tobias said eagerly, receiving a nod of agreement from Niko.

"Quick, let's hitch a ride." Niko said as he pointed to the transports above them. There was a station right across the street from them with numerous aircrafts preparing for their departure. It was quite a ways up, but nothing a Guardian couldn't handle. Leaping into the air, they used the side of the building as a boost to make a jump straight to the roof of the transports, landing the roof of one just as it detached from the dock.

The aircraft zipped out into the streets, heading in the general direction that Undaunted was head for. They knew for sure that no transport would take them directly to the sector of the City that was under attack, but if they could use this to shorten their travel time, they would gladly take it. Every moment counted from this point forward.

As the transport rounded a corner, they could see the area that was being stormed by the Fallen. The wall was in shambles, and steadily the surrounding area was going up in spoke as the Fallen pillaged the structures. The transport continued, drawing closer to the area until it finally turned off.

"This is our stop!" Diana called out as the pointed to the low roof a building they were approaching. All three of them fearlessly jumped off the transport, clearing the distance and landing safely on the roof. From there they began to leap from one rooftop to another, charging directly toward the escalating battle.

* * *

Feeling his feet touch the ground again, Shaxx looked up to see Consensus Hall looming over him. In an instant his Ghost had warped in him to the large building within the heart of the Last City just as he had requested. He had no time to waste. Things were quickly falling apart on the front lines, and if someone didn't act now, the City would crumble.

"Ghost, open a channel for me with Banshee." Shaxx requested as he dashed into the lobby of the hall, heading straight for the elevators that would take him to the basement levels of the building.

"Yes sir." It replied, quickly following his command. "Here he is."

"Banshee." Shaxx stated, waiting for a response.

"Is that you Cayde?" Banshee responded.

"We don't have time for this Banshee." Shaxx stated as the elevator closed, beginning to drop as it took him below Consensus Hall.

"What can I do for you?" He asked.

"I need access to a particular weapon."

"Is it blue?"

"So you do know what I'm talking about. I want the Thunderlord. All of them." Shaxx stated

"Under any other circumstances I would've said no, but I'm watching the news right now so I'll grant you access. If any of them get damaged though, I'm going to send _you_ the paperwork. It costs big bucks to make these, and the Consensus will wipe my memory banks again if any of these get destroyed." Banshee explained.

"Don't worry; _we_ know how to handle a machine gun."

"You won't be saying that once you've actually used the Thunderlord."

"We'll chat after all of this is over. Have them sent to Consensus Hall, we'll be waiting there." Shaxx stated.

"You've got it."

The channel between the two of them was closed as the elevator opened up in front of Shaxx, revealing a long corridor that led up to a large pair of doors. Racing down the hallway, Shaxx looked at the flame insignia that was imprinted on the doors. The mark of the Firebreak Order.

Stopping in front of the door, he slammed both of his palms into each of them, throwing the doors open so that he could look into the large meeting place of the Firebreak Order. This was old Titan Order, one that was considered to be a radical group by both the Consensus as well as the Vanguard, so they were kept hidden beneath the Consensus Hall. Only in times of peril were they called up.

The large room was dark, lit only by the large monitor on the far wall that displayed the chaos that was taking place within the City. There were dozens of Titans present, all of which were prepared for the fight a head.

"Brethren!" Shaxx roared as they all turned to look at him. "Our time to act is now!"

* * *

"This is freakin' crazy!" Niko shouted as he kicked away another Vandal. The sheer number of Fallen was overwhelming as they flooded into the City. He could only assume that the moment the wall collapsed, all of their forces began to funnel themselves into this breach in the Guardian's defenses, making a hard push into the City.

"That's pretty obvious Niko!" Diana hollered in return as she ducked below a swipe from a Dreg, avoiding the electrical blade it was wielding. She then slammed her palm into its torso which sent it flying backward as it was engulfed in Void Light, causing it to explode.

"Watch out!" Tobias called out as he lashed out with his leg at a Vandal that had pounced at Diana from behind. The blow to its head sent it rocketing backward as Tobias landed beside Diana, getting a quick thanks from her as the three of them put their backs together. Drawing their weapons, the three of them began to fire at the horde of Fallen that surrounded them.

They had thrown themselves into the center of the Fallen forces, trying to draw all the attention they could to give anyone that was escaping some extra time. Firing at the Fallen as they closed around them, Undaunted furiously gunned them down.

"I'm empty!" Tobias called out shouted as he stepped back a bit to reload his scout rifle. Niko quickly occupied the spot where Tobias had been, laying down some cover fire with his pulse rifle to keep the Fallen at bay. Two Vandals rushed at them from the direction Niko had been covering, but Tobias was quick to throw down a Vortex grenade to halt their approach.

Removing the empty magazine and slapping in a new one, Tobias quickly shot down the two Vandals as he now took Niko's spot in their little circle.

"Good 'nade Tobias!" Niko called out.

"Thanks for the cover." He replied as he realized that it actually felt like he fit in at the moment.

Back when they were fighting the Wolves on Venus, he didn't really feel like he was fighting with them. It just felt like he was there, taking turns with them as they fought. But now, things felt a little more cohesive, like they were really functioning as a team. Tobias smiled a bit at this thought before noticing that the Fallen had stopped rushing at them.

A Fallen Captain had howled, announcing that their main force had arrived in the City. The three of them looked with wide eyes as the Fallen number seemed to increase tenfold. The streets were tightly packed with them.

"Oh, this is going to be fun." Niko said as the three of them spotted a Walker Tank farther down the street which was marching toward them to take the lead in their attack. On top of this tank was the Fallen Captain who raised its shrapnel launcher to rally the troops around it.

 _'In the face of overwhelming odds…that's when a hero shines his brightest.'_

Tobias felt his blood began to boil. The City was in peril, and here was his chance! The Fallen Captain that had been on top of the tank was suddenly incinerated but a stream of flames. The small embers that remained were swept away by the breeze as all of the Fallen now eyed the trio of Guardians that stood in their path.

Tobias held a flaming pistol which he held up, aimed at where the Captain previously stood.

"Damn, nice shot Tobias!" Diana commented as the firing that surrounded the pistol waned, causing Tobias to frown. He no longer burned himself trying to use Golden Gun, but the most he could squeeze out of it was one shot.

"Yeah, good shot my little one hit wonder!" Niko added with a laugh.

"Oh great." Tobias muttered. Hopefully this nickname wouldn't catch on.

"Guys, focus. We have to do something about that tank. The further it gets in the city, the more damage it'll do." Diana pointed out as the Fallen began to rush forward.

Each of them raised their weapons once again, their fingertips around the triggers as the mobs seemed to become a tidal wave that was going to crash down onto them. But the shell from a rocket launcher came piercing through the air, crashing down onto the front of the enemy forces, stopping their advance for a moment.

The three of them whirled around in search of the source of the rocket, and they were in awe to see what stood behind them. On the rooftops and in the streets, a number of Titans were ready looking down on the Fallen, all of which had a flame insignia somewhere on their armor. The Firebreak Order had arrived. On top of one of the higher buildings was a Shaxx, along with a second Titan who valiantly waved the flag of their Titan Order.

"CHARGE!" Shaxx boomed. And in response, the Titans all gave a shout to the heavens above before they all rushed to engage the Fallen.

The Fallen were bombarded by the Titans, who wasted no time assaulting the Walker Tank. The Fallen foot soldiers only had a moment to realize that their tank had gone down before they were pelted by a sea of blue bullets. Dregs, Vandals and Captains were all gunned down mercilessly by just this single weapon.

"Hah-ha!" This thing is ridiculous!" One of the Titans proclaimed as he held up a large blue machine gun that crackled with electricity. The Thunderlord. "Shaxx always comes through with the best stuff!"

"Come on, let's clear them out of the City!"

"Slaughter every last one of them. If they run, chase them _down_!"

Diana, Tobias and Niko watched as the Titans came rushing past them, beating back the Fallen with all of their might. Just when it seemed like the Fallen were going to overwhelm them and take the City, Shaxx and the Firebreak Order arrived, mowing down the enemies.

"Come on, let's keep mov-" Diana froze as a familiar Titan ran past her. Time seemed to slow down for her to watch a red faced Exo Titan run pass by her. He had piercing red optics, and antennae protruding from his temples. "I-Iggy?"

Diana took a step forward to chase after him, but someone grabbed onto her forearm to hold her back. Looking back, she discovered that it was Niko holding onto her.

"Niko, didn't you see that?" Diana asked him as she looked forward again in search of the Titan.

"Yeah, I saw him." Niko said.

"It was Iggy. That was Iggy!" Diana said as she tried to rip herself free of Niko's grasp to pursue her lost teammate, but Niko's iron grip held firm.

"That's not the Briggs that we know." Niko stated sternly, causing Diana to stop struggling. He had reminded her that this was the Briggs-6 that took part in the Battle of Twilight Gap. Before he had met either of them.

"But I-" Diana began, but Niko raised a hand to stop he from going any further.

"We can't Diana. There's no telling what could happen if we talk to him." Niko said softly. As much as he wanted to speak to Briggs, they couldn't affect the timeline. And they had a mission to complete. "Come on, let's focus on what we came here to do."

Diana took one last look in the direction her lost companion had run off in, charging into the battle with the other Titans of the Firebreak Order. She took a deep breath, calming herself down before she turned to Niko to give him a nod. Skolas would pay dearly for his crimes. Every last one of them. He wouldn't escape this time.

A/N

I've been having some sleepless nights lately, so I've been writing a lot to make the time pass faster. Good news, I've already written out this arc in its entirety, and I was floored when I checked back and discovered it was well over twenty thousand words. I don't have any cool cliffhangers for it, but believe me it's going to get crazy. Can't wait to post the rest of this. :)

For those of you that are familiar with the lore surrounding the Battle of Twilight Gap, Shaxx fought with Battle Frames during his counterattack. For me though, I felt it made more sense for Shaxx to be leading a radical group of Titans, such as the Firebreak Order, considering the bad blood between him and Saladin. While Saladin was more focused on maintaining the defense of the City, Shaxx took matters into his own hand and made an aggressive move against the Fallen that put him on Saladin's bad side for the direct disobedience. That's just my two cents on the subject and explanation of what I have going on here.

And the 'April Update' is official! Just that Taken shader seems to have kick started the hype train, and I'm already on it! They were slowly losing me, but now I'm right back to my full time Guardian status. Let's hope for the best!


	10. Rewind : Fight or Flight

**Chapter 10**

* * *

The Last City was in peril. Their walls had actually been breached by the attacking Fallen Houses.

"ATTACK!" Shaxx roared over the comms as he and the Firebreak Order stormed the streets that were heavily occupied by the Fallen. "PUSH THEM BACK!"

The Titans spared no effort as they slaughtered the Fallen that had gotten within the walls, gunning them down with no mercy.

"Zavala, where are you?" Niko asked through the private channel for his team. He and Tobias were stationed on top of wall, a short distance from the area that the Fallen had broken down. From here they had a good vantage point to observe the battle as it unfolded.

"I'll be there shortly. Do you have eyes on Shaxx?" Zavala asked in return.

"Yeah, his counterattack is starting now." Niko replied as they looked down at the streets below. The Firebreak Order had already pressed the Fallen back to the point where they had breached the wall, and it didn't look like they would be slowing down any time soon.

"Excellent. Between the three of you, one of you should focus on Shaxx, while the remaining two search for Skolas. He's bound to show up soon." Zavala reminded them.

"We're on it Commander." Tobias said with a nod.

Shaxx's counterattack was going as expected. The Firebreak Order and the Fallen were now battling at the choke point in the wall, reaching a stalemate.

"This Shaxx, requesting support from our neighboring sectors. The Fallen are gathering at the breach in the wall, and we can't advance due to their artillery and air support!" Shaxx declared over the open channel between all the Guardians.

"We can't abandon our sectors. But our gun installments will provide you with support fire. You're own your own after that."

"That'll be perfect." Shaxx replied. If the Fallen lost their artillery support, and the Firebreak Order could push forward from the breach. "Give me an update once their artillery is down."

From the top of the wall, Niko and Tobias were using their long range weapons to pick off some of the Fallen Captains in an attempt to remove some of their leadership. But in the sea of foot soldiers, this wouldn't do much in the long run. As time went on though, they could see that the Fallen tactics were adjusting as the number of Walker Tanks with them dwindled.

They were beginning to draw back into the surroundings forests, using it as cover and inviting the Guardians to pursue them.

"We're got them on the run, push forward!" Shaxx ordered, gaining a roar of excitement from his fellow Titans as they burst out of the walls.

"I'm here." Zavala stated as he landed on the top of the wall alongside Niko and Tobias. "And everything is going exactly as I remember. The Fallen here will retreat to the mountain a few miles from here. There's a fort near the peak, which is where the final showdown will take place."

"Do you remember if there was a Kell in that fort?" Niko asked curiously, but Zavala shook his head.

"The report we had said that there was Fallen nobility present in the fort before the battle began. That is likely why Shaxx made his push for it in an attempt to end the battle swiftly. But when he arrived at the fort, there was nothing their beyond the Fallen infantry." Zavala explained.

"So something caused their nobility to flee." Tobias continued. "Do you think that has to do with Skolas?"

"I'm almost certain that it does. If there was anything I've questioned about this battle, it's why their leadership abandoned it. They had the upper hand, they even managed to breach our walls. Why would they leave?" Zavala asked himself once again. And today he might learn the answer to all of this.

"So according to history, there was no Kell in the fort. So our fight with Skolas is probably going to be somewhere else." Niko concluded, getting a nod of agreement from Zavala and Tobias.

"We'll find out soon enough. Shaxx is already making his push. We'll back him up from this point forward and keep a sharp eye for Skolas." Zavala suggested as they all jumped down from the wall. It was an enormous drop, but each of them cushioned their falls through their respective jumps before dashing off in pursuit of the Firebreak Order.

"Diana, we're at the rear of the Firebreak Order. Join up with us when you get the chance." Niko said, waiting for a response from his teammate. But she never answered. "Diana?"

"She's heading north, in the same direction the Firebreak Order is going, but she's way ahead of them." His Ghost pointed out as it brought up the radar on his interface. Diana was quickly putting some distance between them and herself.

"Diana, where are you going?!" Zavala demanded, but she still remained silent.

Niko thumbed his chin for a moment, trying to think of what Diana was doing. And then it hit him as he realized that seeing Briggs must have reopened that wound Skolas had made. She was definitely going after the Kell by herself.

"She's going after Skolas." Niko stated.

"What!?" Tobias and Zavala exclaimed.

"I should've known better than to leave her alone right now." Niko mumbled as his Sparrow was summoned.

"She'll get killed if she goes in there alone." Tobias said.

"I'm right behind you!" Zavala added as he called for his own Sparrow.

 **Twilight Gap**

Skolas stood alone on the cliff outside of the fort that was recognized as Twilight Gap. Down below he could see the carnage as the battle transitioned from the Last City to the heart of the Fallen forces. Their foot soldiers couldn't do a thing to oppose the Firebreak Order as the spirited Titans charged toward the fort.

Everything was going exactly as Skolas had planned. Exposing the location of the Kell of the Kings, the Guardians came charging straight for it. Clearly they would be able to kill off the Kell of Kings, as well as his closest subordinates, which would allow Skolas to establish himself as the head of the Fallen Houses present on Earth. And he would be able to handle the Battle of Twilight Gap how he saw fit.

Hearing the hum of a shrapnel launcher warming up, Skolas glanced over his shoulder find a pair of Barons and a Baroness standing behind him. Each of the Barons were dual wielding the large sabers common among Fallen Captains, while the Baroness held a shrapnel launcher that was aimed at Skolas. All three of them, in some way shape or form had the symbol of the House of Kings on them.

 **"Skolas, or Lord is displeased with you!"** One of the Barons proclaimed as it stepped forward, pointing its sword at him.

 **"You gave away the location of our Lord. Now beings that are allied with the Great Machine are coming to destroy us!"** The Baroness added.

Skolas narrowed his eyes as he looked at the trio. So he _had_ been caught. But that wouldn't matter. There was no escaping the Guardians at this point. None of the Fallen had anticipated that the Guardians would be so aggressive and launch an all-out counterattack against them.

The fact that the Guardians were marching up to the fort now must had had the nobility within the structure on high alert. Their demise was approaching.

"You will pay dearly for putting our Lord in danger!" The final Baron declared as they readied their weapons.

Skolas eyed each of them closely as he turned to face them now. They were quite large for the rank of Barons, close to him in size. They were nothing to take lightly.

The pair of saber wielding Barons rushed forward, raising their weapons to attack him. Reading their movements, Skolas adeptly evaded their attacks with ease. But the two of them ramped up their speed, attacking with all their limbs as they began to work together. The degree of difficulty skyrocketed, leaving Skolas only a fraction of a second to avoid one attack before he had to dodge the next.

The Baroness though kept its shrapnel launcher raised, watching as Skolas became completely absorbed in his duel with the two Barons. Skolas had to be completely focused on the close quarters combat, leaving him wide open for the Baroness to strike him down. Firing its weapon, the projectiles were launcher as a Skolas who was clearly distracted. Or so it thought.

Grabbing the wrist of one Baron to halt his attack, Skolas pulled it into the bath of the fire from the shrapnel launcher, which pelted this Baron in the back.

 **"Watch where you're firing!"** The Baron hissed as the smoldering projectiles were now buried in its back. But in this brief moment where the Baron was focused on its ally, Skolas snapped the wrist of the hand that held on of the swords which he took for himself. The Baron howled in pain from this as it stepped back from him, allowing Skolas to leap at it, throwing his kneel into its abdomen.

The Baron hunched over in pain from this, giving Skolas the freedom to slam the hilt of his sword onto its back which sent it down to the ground with a thud. But Skolas had no mercy as he then raised the saber he held and jammed it into the torso of the Baron. The Baron flailed wildly for a moment, howling in pain. It's movement slowed down though, and then it became motionless as it rested on the ground face down.

The remaining Baron and Baroness glared at him scornfully, raising their weapons once again. Once again, they rushed at him, but Skolas wasn't worried. Ripping his sword out of the Baron he had just defeated, he raised it to engage the other Baron who swung at him wildly. Parrying away its attacks, Skolas could see a pattern in its attack strategy. Frustration was starting to get the better of this Baron since it had yet to land a single blow on him. And with every move it made, it became more obvious what it was going to do next to Skolas.

The only thing stopping him from killing this Baron was the support fire from the Baroness. At every opportunity where he had tried to finish off the Baron, the Baroness had intervened, prolonging its life. Glancing at the Baroness, Skolas knew that he would have to get rid of it first.

Reading then next attack of the Baron, Skolas swung back with all his might to counter this, which caught the Baron off guard as it was knocked backward. Skolas' superior size and strength allowed him to knock away this Baron with ease. So he set his sights on the Baroness.

Taking the sword he held, Skolas threw it at the Baroness. It spun wildly as it curved at its target, but the Baroness had no trouble evading this reckless attack. But Skolas had been moving in the shadow of the sword, pouncing at the Baroness before it could react. Pinning it to the ground, Skolas tightly grasped the neck of the Baroness, beginning to suffocate it as he used his lower hands arms to hold down the arm that held the shrapnel launcher. Fighting back, the Baroness used its remaining three arms to beat away at Skolas, but to no avail.

A roar though gained Skolas' attention as the Baron that he had knocked away jumped into the air. Taking the saber it held and pointing it down at Skolas, the Baron descended toward him, aiming to skewer Skolas with the sword and its full body weight. But Skolas rolled off of the Baroness with a moment to spare, watching as the Baron ran its sword through the chest of its ally. The Baroness lay limp on the ground, staring up at the Baron incredulously.

The Baron was shocked for a moment, realizing that it had killed its ally rather than Skolas. Angrily it turned to the left in search of Skolas, but instead it found itself staring down the barrel of the shrapnel launcher Skolas had taken from the Baroness. Firing away, the Baron howled as it was showered with flaming pieces of metal that burned its skin and punched holes through its cloak.

Jumping away from Skolas, the Baron groaned inwardly, struggling to ignore the pain that had been inflicted upon it.

 **"Gah!"** The Baron exclaimed as it was hit by the shrapnel launcher. But not by the projectiles it fires, but the weapon itself. Skolas had actually hurled the weapon at the Baron, surprising it once again.

Raising its guard from the unexpected blow, Skolas had ample time to rush in and deliver an elbow to the stomach of the Baron, forcing it hunch over. He then took this opportunity to chop down on one of the Baron's hands, forcing it to release the sword it held. Skolas quickly collected this from the ground, and spun around the Baron as it lashed out at him in an effort to create some space between them. But this only put Skolas in position to stab his sword through the side of the Baron's torso.

Skolas twisted the blade sharply, causing the Baron to howl in pain. Skolas then stepped away from the Baron, waiting for it to collapse, but it looked toward him, summoning all of its remaining strength. The Baron took a step forward, and raised the only sword it held, but its vision blurred as it crumbled to the ground in a heap.

 **"Heh, was this all that the Kings could gather to send after me?"** Skolas asked himself with a cackle, but this amusement was short lived as he large gust of wind gained his attention. Looking up at the fort, Skolas watched s three Skiffs rose up from the opposite side of the building, activating their cloaking as they turned to leave. **"What?!"**

Grabbing the shrapnel launcher that had landed nearby and ripping his sword of the final Baron he had killed, Skolas took off in a mad dash into the fort. This wasn't part of the plan! Why were there Skiffs leaving the scene?

Charging through the corridors, Skolas bounded from wall to wall as he crossed through the base at an incredible speed. In a matter of a minute, he had reached the other end of the fort. Racing out onto one of the balconies, he could see that there was only one Skiff remaining that the last of the Kings' nobility was climbing into. And hanging from one of the handle bars at the bottom of the Skiff was the Kell of the Kings. Spotting Skolas, the Kell gave him a small wave as the Skiff began to depart.

 **"Where are you going?!"** Skolas hollered, but the Kell of the Kings remained unresponsive as he climbed into the aircraft, allowing it to close up completely before the ship vanished from sight.

 **"Please, do you think that my Lord would allow you to run around unsupervised?"**

Skolas whirled around to find a mere Dreg standing behind him on the balcony.

 **"Everyone here has been suspicious of you. But when you killed some of our own, we knew you couldn't be trusted. Now all of the Eliksni here will perish because my Lord isn't here to lead them. This battle is lost because of _you_!" ** The Dreg proclaimed, pointing at him. **"You are the reason that the Great Machine will remain out of our reach-"**

The Dreg was set ablaze by the shrapnel launcher Skolas held, dying instantly. Skolas then turned at where the Skiff had previously been, and threw his head back to roar defiantly at the skies above. This wasn't his fault! None of it was!

The Kings had chosen to be cowards and abandon this fight. The Fallen were doomed because of them! But he could still escape though, and gather the Fallen again on his own. He would become the Kell of Kells no matter how long it took!

The structure shook, causing Skolas to lose his balance momentarily.

The Guardians had arrived at the fort.

He had to get out of here! Leaping off the balcony, Skolas dropped down to the field below which led to a cliff with a steep drop. Fearlessly though, he jumped off the cliff and absorbed the landing without so much as a flinch. He now stood in a clearing on the mountainside, but the fort was well above him now. The Guardians were already inside, so he didn't have time to waste.

There was nothing to stop him now though.

But an ear piercing screech gained his attention as he looked up. Approaching him was a gray blur that left a trail of white smoke behind it. A rocket!

Spotting the rocket, Skolas dashed away from where it would hit the ground, but even though he had gotten quite a bit of distance from the point of impact, he was still knocked off his feet. The blast radius was absolutely ridiculous. Resting on his stomach for a moment, Skolas turned over to see the grassy clearing he had landed in was nothing more than a black field now.

A direct hit from that rocket would kill him, he wouldn't question that. But as he looked up, he saw several small nodes descending toward him. One of them touched his forearm and his skin turned black from it. Skolas wasted no time jumping to his feet as he darted away from the rest of these attackers. Managing to outrun them, they all detonated allowing Skolas to sigh with relief. That rocket was something special.

"You're not going anywhere Skolas!" A voice proclaimed.

Turning around, Skolas found that it was Diana who had shouted at him. She stood at the center of the black field with a large and decorated rocket launcher on her shoulder. That had to be source of the rocket that had been fired at him. He would have to be careful fighting her if she possessed such a weapon. But the slight dread Skolas had been experiencing waned as Gjallarhorn faded out of Diana's hands, being replaced by a fusion rifle. Why would she choose not to use such a fearsome weapon?

Exhaling, Skolas shook his head for a moment. These Guardians were certainly some fearsome warriors, but foolish ones as well. He would make Diana pay for this decision.

Raising his shrapnel launcher, he pulled the trigger, causing the weapon to fire out a group of fiery orbs at Diana. In response, she barrel rolled to the side, evading this forward attack method with ease, but as she got back onto her feet, Skolas was already in front of her. Lashing out at her with one of his lower arms, he knocked Diana off her feet, sending her sliding across the clearing.

With a groan, Diana forced herself back to her feet quickly. Letting Skolas get so close to her was the first thing she had to address. From the moment he closed the distance between them, Diana was in for the beating of a lifetime. She would have to keep him at a distance at all costs.

Eyeing Skolas as he leaned forward, preparing to dash at her again, Diana created a sphere of Void Light in her hand which she threw at the ground in front of her. The Vortex grenade spiraled in front of her, causing Skolas to hesitate for a moment as he planned out a new course to approach Diana, and this was all she needed. Diana Blinked, straight to him.

Skolas was caught by surprise as Diana was floating in the air right in front of his face, her hand cocked back. From someone that was roughly a third of his size, she hit him pretty hard. Skolas was no resting on his bottom, shocked from the blow he had received from Diana. But this was a fair trade though since he had just hit her hard as well.

Diana followed up her opening attack though, unleashing a fury of energy bolts from her fusion rifle which she had been charging from the moment she Blinked. Skolas grunted as the bolts hit him before he rolled over, placing himself on his feet. But in the moment he had lost track of Diana, she moved from where she had previously been.

Skolas then gave a roar as he was hit by another burst of energy bolts, this time from above him. Diana smirked within her helmet as she spun in the air and landed on her feet behind Skolas. She may not have been as quick as Skolas, but her anticipation was second to none. She would always be two steps ahead of him, creating an opportunity to attack.

Skolas whirled around, giving Diana a dark glare as she aimed her weapon at him. She was ready for their next exchange of attacks, and he was quickly becoming irritated. She was nothing more than a best, yet he couldn't land a clean hit on her. The injuries had sustained during their first battle on Venus hadn't healed yet, and it was beginning to slow him down. A Guardian was a far greater opponent than anything the House of Kings could've thrown at him.

He would have to end this as quickly as possible.

Leaning forward once again, he darted at Diana who had expected as much. Her fusion rifle had been pre charged, and fired in the direction Skolas was approaching from, once again forcing him to readjust his course. But he did so quickly, closing in on Diana once again. Swing out at her with his sword, Skolas snorted as he failed to make contact with her. She had Blinked once again.

Looking up was the first thing he did, but Diana wasn't airborne. Skolas then spun around, checking every direction, but she was just…gone.

"Hah!" Diana shouted as she burst out of a seam, slamming her palm into Skolas' torso. The Void Light that had been circling around her arm became like a vacuum, draining Skolas of some of his strength as Diana jumped away from him. Skolas was stunned for a moment before he dropped down to one knee, struggling to keep his balance. What did she do to him?

Diana almost wanted to cheer at how successfully that had gone. Skolas had clearly become accustomed to her reappearing immediately when she Blinked, so Diana delayed her return from the Void by just a few moments, clearly catching Skolas off guard once again. And with a sharp blow to his torso to trigger the infamous leech like abilities of Voidwalkers, Diana found herself staring at the Kell of the Wolves on his knees. For just a few moments, the Skolas wouldn't even have the strength to move.

She would end this here and now.

"Ghost, I need the Gjallarhorn." Diana declared as she raised her hands. Her fusion rifle was immediately replaced by the large rocket launcher, which caused Skolas' eyes to widen as he realized what was going to happen. He couldn't take such a blow from that weapon.

Diana began to back away, putting some distance between them in preparation for the powerful explosion from a Gjallarhorn rocket. As she did so, she lined up the sights with Skolas who was fighting to get back onto his feet, but he wasn't finding any success. Diana had sapped him of his strength momentarily, forcing him to remain still to receive his death blow.

'This if for Iggy.' Diana stated as she fired. The rocket launcher screeched as the projectile left the barrel, racing toward Skolas. Staring at blur as it approached him, Skolas found some strength, enough strength to use just one arm. The arm that held his shrapnel launcher. Hurling the weapon at the approaching rocket, the two objects collided, detonating the rocket. Skolas was sent rolling across the field from the point of impact, his skin and cloak being scorched from the intense heat, but he was still alive.

Standing near the edge of the clearing now, Diana was trying to remain cautious as the smoke from the explosion slowly cleared away. There was no way anything could've survived a direct hit from a Gjallarhorn rocket, but Skolas couldn't be taken lightly. She had to make sure he was dead.

Suddenly, a small portion of the smoke parted, revealing Skolas a he raced at Diana. Her eyes became wide as he got to her almost instantly, his arms raised to crush her. Diving to her right to avoid being smashed, Diana didn't even have time to recover as Skolas swatted at her with one of his lower arms, sending her tumbling away. Coming to a stop, Diana's head was spinning now as she struggled to reorient herself, but opponent didn't have the slightest bit of mercy as he approached her once again, kicking her across the field.

Diana screamed as she hit the trunk of a tree at the edge of the clearing with a thud before she slumped to the ground. She couldn't believe how quickly things had been flipped on her. She was certain that she had set up Skolas perfectly to receive a Gjallarhorn to the face, yet she was lying on her side now with the Kell standing over her. How did that happen?

She was certain that she could fight Skolas by herself. From the first time she had fought the Wolves during the Reef Wars, Diana wanted nothing more than to avenge her people, her family. But even as a Guardian, she still wasn't strong enough to do so. Not even for Briggs…

Skolas stared down at Diana, impressed that she had almost beaten him. He would praise her if he could speak her language, but an honorable death would have to do. Raising his sword, Skolas spun the weapon so that the blade was pointing down at Diana, and he thrusted it toward her.

 _Clang!_

Skolas' eyes became wide as his sword was stopped, despite all the strength he had put into this attack. Standing in between him and Diana was Tobias, who hadn't moved an inch as he used his own tanto to block Skolas' weapon.

"Diana, what the hell are you doing?!" Niko barked at her as she dropped down beside her, scooping her up in his arms before he jumped away from Skolas and Tobias. Zavala was waiting for them a bit farther away, which is where Niko went to-to set Diana down on the ground again.

She was at a loss for words as Niko kneeled down in front of her, beginning to examine her. Diana then looked back at Tobias who had intercepted Skolas's attack, saving her life. He was fearlessly staring at the Kell as the two of them grinded their blades against the other, trying to see whose strength was superior.

"You're lucky this time Diana. I managed to mitigate the spinal injury you received. It'll only take a few more minutes to repair it completely." Her Ghost revealed as it appeared alongside her, revealing her injuries to Niko.

"I'll give Tobias some back up." Niko stated as he drew his tanto, preparing to dash into the fight. But Zavala extended his arm outward to halt Niko.

"Hold on." Zavala stated.

"What's the matter?" Niko asked him.

"Tobias…he seems, different." Zavala noted as he observed the Guardian as he and Skolas finally separated, staring at one another. Zavala couldn't find the words to describe it, but as he stared at Tobias, he could feel his Light radiating from him. Zavala just knew that he was about to witness something special. "Niko, don't interfere."

"For real?" Niko exclaimed, receiving a nod from Zavala.

Tobias was shocked that his tanto hadn't been broken when he used it to intercept Skolas. But just like Niko has said, the blade was practically indestructible when it was charged with Arc Light. Now allowed the Arc Light to flow through his entire body, Tobias took a deep breath as he entered Arc Blade. He knew that if Niko needed this just to keep with Skolas on Venus, than he certainly would as well.

Skolas however, looked around at the four Guardians that were present around him. He had spent too much time fighting Diana when he had intended to escape. But now that seemed unlikely with four of them here.

The brief moment where he had been on his knees staring at Diana flashed through his mind. Running was unacceptable now. He was the Kell of Kells! The legendary hero that would return the Fallen to prosperity. A few of these pathetic warriors wouldn't be able to stop him! He kneeled before _no one_!

With a roar, Skolas reengaged Tobias, dropping his sword down onto Tobias who raised his tanto to block it again. But the impact was even greater than last time, sending out a gust of wind from them, but Tobias stood beneath the Skolas' sword, unaffected. Skolas lifted his sword again to drop it a second time, but now Tobias was gone, just like Diana. The Kell only had a moment to search for him before Tobias appeared above him, landing a drop kick to the top of Skolas' head.

But Skolas lashed out at him, swatting the airborne Tobias away from him. Tobias was sent flying parallel to the ground from this hit, so he took his tanto and slammed it into the ground beneath him to bring him to an immediate stop. Landing on his feet, Tobias yanked his tanto out of the ground before looking up at Skolas who had pounced at him.

"Look out Tobias!" Diana shouted while Niko leaned forward to dash in, but Zavala stepped into his path.

"What are you doing?" Niko asked him.

"Wait a moment." The Titan Vanguard suggested.

"He's in trouble though!" Niko pointed out.

"Just give him a chance."

Tobias raised his tanto once again, but his aim wasn't just to block Skolas' attack anymore. Swing back with all his might, their blades met which sent both of them stumbling backward. Their power was equal despite the difference in size. The two of them planted their feet and went at each other again, beginning to go back and forth as they swung at the other. There was no skill or finesse involved in this sword fight. It was nothing but a test of brute strength. At least until Tobias had-had enough of it.

Skolas swung out at Tobias once again, but he missed him completely. Tobias was gone once again, having disappeared into a seam, using the same trick Diana had.

Up in the air behind Skolas, Tobias reappeared with his scout rifle in his free hand and aimed at Skolas whose back was turned to him. Firing away at the Kell, Tobias buried several shots into his back, hitting the wounds Niko had put on Skolas back on Venus. Skolas howled as he spun around instinctively to protect his area of weakness, but met face first with a Vortex grenade that blinded him momentarily.

With this opportunity now, Tobias landed on his feet and rushed at Skolas who had backed out of the Vortex grenade, regaining his sight. But with little time to react to the approaching Tobias, Skolas swung out wildly, allowing Tobias to evade this easily. Darting around Skolas, Tobias went straight for his back once again, targeting what was left of the horn Niko had severed during their first battle. Slashing at it with his tanto, Skolas gave an even greater roar of pain before he spun around to slap Tobias away. But a sharp pain ran from his back through all four of his arms, forcing him to drop them to his sides. Even lifting his arms was becoming too painful to bear. Tobias was clearly going after his weak spot.

This situation was becoming more and more unfavorable for Skolas.

"Wait a second, since when could Tobias do _all of that_?" Niko exclaimed. He had seen Tobias uses the abilities separately when they were practicing, but now, he was seamlessly blending Voidwalker abilities while using Arc Blade. Tobias was all over the place, using speed and space magic to cause havoc for Skolas.

"He's weak Tobias, take him down!" Diana hollered, but this fell on deaf ears.

Tobias could only hear a low white noise. His head was pounding, his lips were dry, and his eyes were wide. This was like the same rush he had fighting the Captain during his first night in the Cosmodrome. He felt incredible!

Skolas roared again as he fought to raise his arms once more. His injuries were making it too difficult just to fight one of them. How was he going to defeat the other three? Was he actually going to be beaten here? Seeing Tobias push forward to attack once again, Skolas took one of his free hands and began to slap his abdomen in an attempt to distract himself from the pain. He then stomped the ground, sending out a small shockwave to disrupt Tobias as he neared him.

Having the ground shake beneath him, Tobias lost his footing which left him to come skidding to a halt in front of Skolas on his side. Now was his chance. Raising his sword, Skolas roared, as if to tell Tobias to go into oblivion as he aimed to viciously skewer him. But Tobias had a response, a very big one.

Slamming his sword into the ground, Skolas' eyes became narrow as he saw that his sword had only pierced the earth. He had failed to get Tobias once again. And now Tobias was behind him, floating in the air with his right hand cocked back and shinning brilliantly with Void Light.

"Rah!" Tobias shouted as he thrusted his hand forward, heaving an enormous mass of swirling Void Light down onto Skolas. The Kell couldn't even move away from the attack as he was buried underneath this Nova Bomb. Tobias landed on the ground and threw his head back with a triumphant shout to the skies above.

The three Guardians that had been observing the battle were left speechless by Tobias' display of strength, proving Zavala's hunch to be correct. There was much more to Tobias than what meets the eye.

"Did you see that?!" Tobias shouted as he turned to his teammates, pointing at them. "Did you see that?!"

"Hell yeah I did!" Niko yelled in response as he began to run toward Tobias to celebrate. But this was short lived as Niko's exhilaration turned to panic. Skolas rose up from the crater Tobias had stuffed him into, glaring menacingly at Tobias whose back was now turned to him.

"Tobias!" Diana screamed.

Realizing everyone was looking past him, Tobias spun around to see Skolas looming over him, his arms raised. Skolas' tenacity was praiseworthy. No matter how much he was beaten down, the Kell continued to fight. Tobias felt a smile form on his face now that the fight wasn't over. Truthfully, he wanted it to continue.

Dropping his scout rifle and tanto, Tobias summoned a gray pistol which he raised to aim at Skolas. But as he became engulfed in flames, channeling Solar Light into the weapon, Tobias' arms dropped.

All of his strength was gone.

"He's out of gas!" Niko shouted, as both he and Zavala sprang into action.

Skolas grunted, struggling to find the motivation to move. He was in excruciating pain, even as he stood completely still. He had only fought two Guardians so far, and they had best him. His allies were gone, he was alone, and an army of Guardians were approaching. Looking out in the distance, Skolas saw the Traveler hovering over the Last City, and his vision became refocused.

He couldn't die. Not yet. He had to escape!

Cursing in his native tongue, Skolas summoned every ounce of his willpower to begin moving his legs. Turning away from the Tobias, he tensed the muscles in his legs. All he needed was one jump, to get some separation from them and buy himself a little bit of time to rest. But the Guardians thought otherwise.

"Don't let him get away!" Zavala ordered.

"Damn it!" Tobias shouted, unable to find the strength to even move. He could barely keep his balance at the moment. He had never been so tired before.

"It's alright Tobias, we'll take it from here." Niko said as he passed Tobias, dashing toward Skolas. Lengthening his tanto with Arc Light once again, Niko sped up to launch his finishing attack. He wouldn't miss his target this time. Passing Skolas, Niko swung his sword before he came to a stop in front of the Kell.

Seeing Niko appear in front of him, his sword lowered, Skolas' eyes became wide as his left thigh split. His leg fell to the ground having been severed with a clean cut by Niko's blade. Losing his balance, Skolas fell to the ground as Zavala followed up. The Titan Vanguard leaped into the air, becoming surrounded with Arc Light as he raised both his hands above his head. The blue electricity around him began to spark and sputter as he came crashing down next to Skolas, sending out a shockwave that threw the Kell high into the air.

"Finish this Diana!" Niko called out to his teammate who had been ready and waiting.

Looking down the sights of her Gjallarhorn once again, Diana took aim at the airborne Skolas.

" _This,_ is for all the crimes you've committed. For the lives you took. The families you've ruined. And the relationships you destroyed." Diana whispered as she pulled the trigger. A rocket shell was sent hurtling toward Skolas who was floating quietly in the air. From his current vantage point, he glanced up at the military base above them. The Guardians were slaughtering whatever stood in their path now as the Fallen forces were steadily pushed back.

He spun slowly, now facing the Traveler which he had an even better sight of.

He was supposed to reclaim the Traveler. And restore the Eliksni to their former glory. But…he had failed.

The rocket connected with Skolas, engulfing him in a cloud of white smoke. Tobias was blown of his feet from the force of the explosion, throwing him backward for a few meters. But Tobias was brought to a halt by the arms of Diana as she caught him until the winds finally calmed down. Together the four Guardians looked up as the smoke cleared away, revealing that there was nothing of significance above them, and no corpse had dropped to the ground.

"Ghost, do you have any readings on Skolas?" Diana asked, summoning her small partner. There was a moment of silence as her Ghost cycle through some date before it began to turn side to side.

"None at all. Skolas was completely obliterated in that blast." Her Ghost stated, allowing them all to have a sigh of relief. They had done it. Skolas was no more!

"So, care to explain Diana." Niko said as he and Zavala approached her and Tobias.

"Explain what?" She asked in return.

"You running off without us." Niko clarified for her.

"Yeah, what were you thinking back there?" Tobias added, causing Diana to sigh now as she shook her head.

"I _wasn't_ thinking." She replied. "I just wanted to kill him so badly that I just took off."

"That still doesn't justify you acting by yourself." Zavala stated.

"Man Diana, if Briggs were here, he'd have your head." Tobias said to her. "He always says that we're a team. We stick together."

Niko and Zavala took a nervous glance at each other, waiting to see Diana's reaction. But she simply exhaled.

"That's right." She said softly, giving Tobias a nod. "He always said that…and I'll never forget it."

Her face was hidden within her helmet, but her voice was firm. The loss of Briggs was definitely hanging over her, but he was confident that Diana would overcome this hurdle. Hearing some shouts, Zavala looked up, noticing a fireteam of three Titans approaching them.

"We've got Guardians inbound." Zavala said as he stooped down beside Tobias, taking one of his arms and throwing it over his shoulder to support him as they stood up.

"What are they doing here?" Niko asked.

"It's pretty hard not to notice a Gjallarhorn rocket when it goes off. The one Diana just fired must have gotten their attention." Zavala explained as he motioned for Niko to follow him with Tobias. "Regardless of who they are, Niko and I can't speak to them since we're currently stationed elsewhere in this battle."

"So, it falls on me then." Diana said as she rose up, turning in the direction where the team was coming from. Niko, Zavala and Tobias slipped out of the clearing just as the Titans entered it, spotting Diana as she observed charred field she had previously been fighting on. Looking toward the Titans now, Diana's heart sunk at the sight of them.

Leading the trio was none other than Briggs-6.

"Iggy." She whispered as they approached her, looking around with their weapons raised.

"Guardian, can you report what took place here?" Briggs asked her as his two partners separated to inspect some of the damage.

"Some of the Fallen were attempting to escape by scaling down this side of the cliff. My team and I engaged them down here and clearly, we handled them." Diana explained as she motioned to the field.

Briggs stared at her, his optics rotating as he gaze became sharp.

"According to Shaxx, only the Firebreak Order had left the vicinity of the City. So what are you, a Warlock, doing up here?" Briggs asked her. This caused Diana scoff at him in response.

"What, you guys think you're the only ones brave enough to push back. I rounded up my team when you all started to push back and we followed you guys up here." Diana explained to him, her hands on her hips.

"And where's the rest of your team?" Briggs pressed, looking around in search of them.

"They're picking off the stragglers further down. I was just going to join them actually." Diana replied before an explosion from above caused them all to look up at the fort.

"The real fight is up there. We're heading back up." The two Titans that were accompanying Briggs declared. Activating the thrusters on their backs, the two Titans began to scale the cliff, heading back to the fort above them.

"I'll make note that you're fireteam cut off the Fallen's escape path in my report." Briggs said to Diana now that it was just the two of them, his thrusters igniting as well for him to head back.

"Actually, you don't have to mention us. Just give the credit to Shaxx for directing us to do so. I'm pretty sure he's going to need it." Diana replied, recalling that the actions Shaxx took here would put him in Saladin's dog house.

"Alright Guardian, good luck." Briggs said as he looked up, beginning to rise. But Diana grabbed onto his forearm before he could take off completely, keeping him beside her.

"Hold on a second." She said to him. Briggs cut his thrusters, putting him back on his feet in front of her.

Diana placed a hand on the back of her neck, deactivating her helmet. The protective covering dematerialized, revealing her face to him. Briggs was a bit taken aback by her teary eyes and the soft smile she wore.

"Please, remember me." Diana almost begged him. "Please."

"What do you mean? He questioned her. But Diana's helmet formed around her face once again.

"You'll know in due time. Until then, be safe…Iggy." She stated as a roar from above them caused Briggs to look up again. It was shout a of victory by all of the Titans of the Firebreak Order now that they had successfully taken control of Twilight Gap.

Returning his gaze to Diana, Briggs discovered that she had already left him, disappearing into the thick foliage at the edge of the clearing. He didn't really know what to think of her at the moment, but he had more pressing matters to attend to. Activating his thrusters a second time, he scaled the cliff as well to join the Titans that were within the fort.

Diana felt her heart skip as she raced in between the tree trunks in search of her team. As much as Zavala and his Ghost had told them not to disturb the progression of history, there was one thought in her mind from the moment she saw Briggs in the City. It wasn't a coincidence that she saw him. It couldn't be.

 _"Haven't we met before?"_

That was the first thing Briggs-6 had asked her when she first arrived in the Tower. Even though Diana had explained that she had previously been the Reef to him, and how she had just become a Guardian, Briggs insisted that they had met before. And now she finally understood. She had her own part to play in this loop in time.

The end her close friendship with Briggs on Venus, was also the beginning of it.

The trio of men she had been teamed up with came into view, with Tobias resting against a tree trunk while Zavala and Niko stood upright, talking amongst themselves.

"It looks like everything went well back there." Zavala noted as Diana joined them. She gave him a nod.

"At least that worked out." Niko muttered, earning a look of concern from Diana.

"What's the matter?" She asked them.

"New problem." Niko stated. "How do we get home?"

"The same way we…got here." Diana trailed off, realizing that without Skolas, their gateway through time was lost. "Crap…what are we going to do?"

"Can we stay here?" Tobias asked the group.

"I don't think so." Zavala replied as he folded his arms in front of his chest. There was no way two Zavala's could've been in existence at the same time from this moment forward. Zavala was certain that he would notice…eventually. So how would they get home?

"Problem solved!" Diana's Ghost declared as it appeared in the center of the group. "And we actually have Niko to thank for it!"

"Me?" Niko said as he pointed to himself. "What did I do?"

"You severed Skolas' leg, which wasn't blown up with the rest of him fortunately. Without it, I wouldn't have been able to recover a very small portion of the Mind Core that had fused with him." Her Ghost explained to them.

"How did you manage to do that?" Zavala inquired.

"Oh right, you weren't there Zavala. Back on Venus, Skolas absorbed the core so that he could be able to travel through time. There were only a few remnants of the core in his leg, but it was enough for me to get us a one way trip back to our time."

"Impressive." Zavala noted with a nod of admiration. Diana's Ghost had been coming to their rescue throughout this mission, opening the lift for them back on Venus, and now it had found a way to return them to their own time.

"I'm just going to give you all a fore warning, there's a chance you could lose a limb…or two." Diana's Ghost revealed to them, causing the group to deadpan.

"Why the hell would that happen?" Niko asked, furrowing his brow.

"Well I'm working with what's left of the Mind Core. I can get you back home, just not…all in one piece." Her Ghost replied as it summoned a portal, causing a bright blue light to form above them. "So you know, if you come out on the other side with an arm or leg missing, don't be surprised."

The group gulped audibly.

 **Venus**

 **Ishtar Region**

 **Terminus**

The Guardians that had stormed the Vex Citadel were a little confused to say the least.

After Skolas had disappeared into one of the time portals along with fireteam Undaunted, the Wolves fell into total disarray. Aksor had attempted to reign in the troops that now lacked direction, but without Skolas here to tether him this point in time, Aksor faded out of existence. The Guardians steamrolled the Wolves that remained, and then everything became quiet.

Now all of them were waiting anxiously no the final platform for Zavala and Undaunted to return. They had ample time to revive any of their comrades that had been killed, restoring all of the Guardians that taken part in this mission, save for just one.

Finally though, the final portal lip up, gaining everyone's attention. The Guardians readied their weapons, filling the area with the sound of rifles and cannons clicking.

"Something's coming through!"

Much to everyone's relief though, Commander Zavala was spat out of the portal. The Titan Vanguard came tumbling out, agonizing in pain as he held his right shoulder, which was the only portion of his right arm that he still had. The rest of it had been removed completely.

Tobias came through next, followed immediately by Niko who crashed into him, knocking both of them to the ground. Tobias was the only one who was fine, his only complaint being that Niko had fallen on him. But Niko was too busy shouting about his missing left hand to care about Tobias. And last but not least, Diana stumbled out of the portal where she immediately gave herself a pat down, checking to see if she was alright. And fortunately, like Tobias she had completed the trip without any adverse effects.

"Petra, they've returned!" The Guardians declared over the comms.

"The team that pursued Skolas is back?" She asked them, while calling for Variks.

"And what of Skolas?" The raspy voice questioned them.

"He's dead. And I wouldn't have it any other way." Diana stated, causing the Guardians to give a shout now that their mission was complete.

"Skolas is now more. House Wolves have scattered." Variks noted, nodding to himself.

"I think it's safe to say that the threat of the Wolves if finally over. Guardians, we owe you a great deal of gratitude for your efforts and support. And I'm sure my Queen thinks likewise." Petra said, thanking the Guardians for everything they had done from Earth to Venus.

Various Guardians had rushed to the Diana and Tobias, showering them with questions about where they had gone. Zavala and Niko on the other hand requested that they be killed to be revived with their missing limbs intact. The process didn't take too long, but during this time quite a few of the Guardians looked curiously at the portal that was still open.

"Hey Ghost, why hasn't the portal closed yet?" Diana asked her small partner who turned to it as well.

"I have no idea." It replied before the portal grew brighter momentarily. It then shot out one final person who had made the journey through time, causing everyone to raise their weapons once again.

But it was a small Hunter who came out, her hands raised in the air at the sight of all the weapons aimed at her.

"Um…hi."

A/N

And that ends my take on House of Wolves. Skolas' lofty ambitions got the better of him as he was exposed and betrayed by what he thought was his allies. I've read countless times that the Kell of the Kings (Still no name at this point), is cunning and sly, so I wouldn't think it would be much of a surprise for him to betray Skolas at Twilight Gap.

Anyway, I'm pumped because of some of the future chapters I have planned already. I'm so hyped to get to those parts, but I don't want to rush anything either. Anyway, the next few chapters are more of a set up for the next portion of the story that's coming along, so I'm aiming to post those rapidly to get us all to the good stuff faster.

As always guys, thanks for reading and all the support. I'll see you next time!


	11. You Gotta Look the Part Too

**Chapter 11**

* * *

Undaunted had done it again. Skolas was dead. History was unaltered. And the fireteam had managed to come back safely. None of this was really a surprise to the Guardians as they greeted the brave fireteam on their return. It was what they always did. But rather than just tales of their heroics, Undaunted returned with an extra Guardian this time.

"Man, what a crazy rush." The small Huntress noted as she held her head, still shaken from being shot through time. "Where the heck am I?"

"Where did you come from?" Diana asked her return as she and Niko approached the new Guardian, kneeling down beside her.

"Umm…I saw you guys fighting that Kell who I fought before actually, so I stuck around in case you guys needed a hand. But you ended whooping its ass so I was like, 'I definitely have to meet these guys!'" She explained for them. "Then I saw you guys all go through that transmat or whatever it was and now I'm here."

"Oh, crap." Niko noted as they realized she had journeyed through time with them.

"That wasn't a transmat, _that_ was a time portal." Diana stated, leaving the Hunter dumbfounded.

"A what?!" She exclaimed in response.

"Geez, this could get messy now." Niko muttered.

"What do you mean?" Tobias asked him as he approached the group.

"Zavala said our goal was to make sure history played out as it's supposed to. Her coming to future with us could mess up something." Niko explained as he motioned toward the Hunter.

"Ghost, do we have any way to send her back to the Battle of Twilight Gap?" Diana asked her Ghost as it formed beside her.

"That's a negative." It replied as it hovered around the Hunter, examining her. "That was a one way ticket we had, unless we can get our hands on another Vex Mind Core. But I'm positive that the Vex must be sending reinforcements to reclaim the Citadel. We don't want to stay here much longer."

"We're on Venus?" The Hunter asked as she jumped to her feet, rushing over to the edge of the platform they stood on to take a look around at their surroundings. But there wasn't much to see due to their current height. "I've never gotten a chance to come to Venus before this."

"So what do you think we should do with her?" Diana asked as she looked back at her two teammates.

"Well I've already sorted through a vast amount of information. It seems as though her presence her didn't affect history as we know it. It might be safe to assume that it's alright to keep her here." Diana's Ghost explained. "Although, I think it is worth noting that there might be a possibility that she was _supposed_ to come with use the future."

"So you don't think we should try to send her back?" Tobias asked as they watched her look up at the setting sun in the distance.

"Don't forget, Skolas also got that Mind Core from the Vault of Glass. If we're going to try to get another one, we're going to need a big time team to go in there with us." Niko pointed out, getting a nod of agreement from Diana.

"Guardians, our sensors are detecting multiple Vex incoming. It's time to leave the Citadel!" Petra called out over the comms, dashing away the calmness that had set in from their victory.

"Ghost, transmat us out of here!" Diana called out as the Guardians began preparing for the warp trip.

"No can do, even though they're inactive the Vex portals up here are creating a lot of interference. We have to get out of the Citadel before we can open a transmat!" Diana's Ghost replied.

"Everyone, we have to get moving now!" Zavala commanded having finally been returned to his usual state.

* * *

"Phew!" Niko exclaimed as he dropped down into one of the seats in their jump ship's cabin, relaxing for what felt like the first time in ages. Tobias joined him as well, and he was practically melted into his seat as he felt all of the tension in his body finally fade away. There were no threats on the horizon, so they could finally loosen up a bit.

Everything had worked out perfectly. All of the Guardians that journeyed to the top of the Citadel had escaped safely and immediately set course for Earth. It had been an eventful few days as everyone had been hunting the Wolves, and now it was time to take it easy.

"Alright kid, so let's talk." Niko said as his helmet receded, revealing his face to their new companion.

"I have a name you know." She retorted at Niko who blinked, raising his brow.

"So anyway, we, or rather I have a couple of questions for-" He continued.

"Hey, are you going to ask for my name?" She hollered at Niko.

"Not with that attitude." Niko responded.

"What attitude?!" She exclaimed.

"That little persnickety thing you got going on." Niko replied as he pointed at her. She gave him a scowl in response, sticking her tongue out at him.

"That's exactly what he's talking about Carmen." A new, mechanical voice said as her Ghost appeared alongside her.

"Oh, now you went and spoiled it!" Carmen said with pout as she looked away from her Ghost.

"What kind of name is Carmen?" Niko asked.

"It means poetry, like when I'm kicking ass. It's like poetry, in, motion." She said, pointing a pair of finger pistols at Niko who deadpanned along with the rest of the team.

"Wow, you couldn't be any cornier huh?" Niko said with a smirk.

"Ugh, you suck!" She shouted at him, causing her Ghost to sigh audibly before it hovered over to the members of Undaunted.

"Don't mind her, she's an idiot." It stated bluntly, causing the trio to stifle a laugh.

"I can hear you!" Carmen pointed out.

"You were supposed to." Her Ghost replied.

What an, unusual pair.

"So your name is Carmen?" Diana asked her, getting a nod from the Hunter.

"Yeah, Carmen Fox. Don't forget it because one day that name is going to be legendary." She stated as her helmet receded as well, allowing them to see her face.

"You still sound corny." Niko noted as he looked up to take a look at face. Both his jaw and Diana's dropped at the sight of Carmen's face though.

She was young! Really young! Fair skinned with shoulder length, wavy brown hair, dark eyes.

"The hell?" Niko exclaimed as he straightened up in his seat.

"How old were you before you became a Guardian?" Diana practically demanded to know.

"Sheesh." Carmen said, taken aback by their sudden outburst. "I'm seventeen."

"My gosh." Diana whispered.

"What's wrong with being seventeen?" Tobias asked as he looked toward Diana and Niko, waiting for an answer.

"Well that's just stupidly young to be a Guardian." Diana responded. "Whenever you're raised as a Guardian, your body is restored to the state you were in before you died. At seventeen you haven't finished growing, and you're not even close to your physical prime. It's a rather odd choice for a Ghost to turn someone like this into a Guardian."

"Actually, I was eleven when I died. Saladin told me I'm still growing." Carmen revealed, leaving both Diana and Niko stupefied.

'This doesn't make any sense. She's dead, but still aging? How is that possible?' Diana asked herself as she studied Carmen. It was obvious with her current physical appearance that she wasn't eleven years old. But no one aged as a Guardian…

"Wait, you know Lord Saladin?" Niko asked her.

"Lord?" She said with a laugh. "Yeah, I know him. He was my mentor once I got to the City."

"I don't remember him having any students beyond Shaxx and Zavala." Niko commented as he stroked his beard. "Not to mention they're all Titans. Why would he train a Hunter?"

"If she's telling the truth, Lord Saladin should be able to tell us something about her." Diana said, getting a nod from Niko. "When we get back to the Tower we can arrange to meet with him."

"Wait, is he still alive?" Carmen asked curiously, receiving a nod from Diana and Niko. "How does he look now? He was old as dirt last time I saw him, and now I like what, ten years in the future?"

"A couple of decades actually. We won at Twilight Gap a long time ago now." Diana explained.

"Geez, so I missed out on a ton of stuff." Carmen noted.

"Before we go any farther, I have a quick question." Tobias said, receiving the attention of everyone present. "Where's Briggs?"

He had noticed that Briggs was missing when they returned to Venus, but now that he wasn't present on the ship he was more than curious. But the response he received wasn't quite what he was expecting.

Diana was stunned for a moment before all of the adrenaline from fighting Skolas disappeared, reminding her of the events that had led up to that fight. Rising from her seat, Diana retreated into the cockpit, sealing off that small chamber to herself. Niko approached the door, knocking on it a few times.

"Diana, are you okay?" Niko called out, but there was no response from her.

"What happened?" Tobias inquired. Nothing was making much sense to him now between learning about Carmen and Diana's odd reaction.

"It's not exactly easy to say this…well actually, it's not that hard, I'm just making it harder for myself." Niko was beginning to ramble before he shook his head, refocusing himself. "We lost Briggs on Venus."

It took a moment for this to settle in with Tobias.

"Wha-when? How?" Tobias was wide eyed as he finally put it all together.

"When we were fighting Skolas on Venus, you were knocked unconscious at one pointed, and he was giving me and Diana good beating. Skolas managed to take a Briggs, and then he got his hands on Briggs' Ghost and threw it into one of the time portals." Niko explained as he returned to his seat with a heavy sigh. "Neither of us could do anything to stop him."

"Why didn't we go after him?" Tobias demanded. They had chased Skolas back to the Twilight Gap. So why didn't they go after Briggs.

"At that point, Skolas still didn't have full control over the network. Those portals were in a state of flux, leading to random points in time. There was no guarantee that we would've ended up in the same time period that Briggs had been sent too." Niko went on, silencing Tobias.

Tobias then gave a sigh as well as he leaned back in his seat, a frown on his face. He didn't really know what to make of this situation. He had only known Briggs for a few days. It wasn't much of a chance to get to know him. But it was clear that Diana held him very close to her hear, although Tobias could tell how close Niko was to Briggs. He seemed completely unfazed by the loss of his fireteam leader.

"Tobias, when we get back to the Tower, I'm going to put you in charge of Carmen." Niko said as he motioned to the small Hunter who had been silent once their conversation became centered on Briggs. "I'll have my Ghost make the arrangements for you to meet with Lord Saladin."

"Taken care of." Tobias said with a small nod.

 **Earth**

 **Tower**

The moon shined down on the Tower as the Guardians returned from Venus, their ships roaring as they came into the hanger. With everyone dropping their ships off, the process went by quickly, allowing the Guardians to head off for the barracks in search of a room for the night. They all could rest easy tonight knowing that they had prevailed against the House of Wolves.

Tobias was asleep moments after flopping onto the bed of his room. He didn't dream anything during the night though, and he woke up feeling incredibly stiff the next morning. It was nothing a little bit of stretching didn't cure though. Rolling his shoulder a bit now that he was finished, Tobias looked up hearing a pair of voices. Listening closely, he quickly realized that they were coming from outside of his room. Opening up the door, he discovered that it was Carmen and her Ghost waiting for him.

"Well it's about time." Carmen stated as she looked at Tobias expectantly, tapping one foot. "I've been waiting out here for ours."

"Oh please Carmen, it's _barely_ been a few minutes." Her Ghost replied.

"Good morning." Tobias said to the two of them.

"Ah, good morning. I didn't catch the names of you and your teammates yesterday." Carmen's Ghost said as Tobias stepped out into the corridor with them.

"I'm Tobias." He said, introducing himself first. "The guy with the beard is Niko, and the young woman is Diana."

"Ah, thank you. It's a pleasure you meeting you all." Her Ghost said kindly. "Niko contacted me earlier this morning. He said that Lord Saladin would be waiting for us in the Hall of Guardians today and he has allotted some time to meet with us."

"Nice, let's get to it." Tobias said as he motioned for them to get moving.

"So Tobias, do mind if I ask you a few questions. Niko wasn't in the mood to talk earlier." Carmen's Ghost said.

"Niko _wasn't_ in the mood to talk? That's a first." Tobias said with a small chuckle. Niko always had something to say. "But yeah, I'll tell you what I can. I'm not exactly a, veteran Guardian."

"We'll see. It's concerning your fireteam, and some of things we witnessed while you fought that Kell. For example, that _powerful_ rocket launcher that Diana was using. What was that?" The Ghost inquired.

"Oh yeah, that thing was off the hook!" Carmen added, earning a grin from Tobias. He was just as impressed with that weapon the first time he had seen it in action.

"That's the Gjallarhorn." Tobias replied.

"I don't have any information about such a weapon in my database." Ghost noted as they arrived at one of the elevators that would take them up to the plaza.

"I remember Briggs said that it was built after the Battle of Twilight Gap. So that might explain why you don't know about it." Tobias pointed out as they stepped into the elevator.

"Ahh, alright." Her Ghost said. "And can you explain how _you_ are able to fight as both a Voidwalker and a Bladedancer?"

Carmen was all ears now. She had witnessed his duel with Skolas and saw the abilities Tobias put on display. She definitely wanted to know the answer to this one.

"Oh, okay that's a tougher one. And to be honest, I can't really explain it myself still. I was told that I'm able to channel any kind of Light, in any way." Tobias replied.

"So basically, you can use any sub-class…" Her Ghost concluded as the realization dawned on Carmen.

"Dude~, that's badass!" She said, giving Tobias' arm a soft punch. "We have to team up some time so I can see you in action again."

"Heh, I'm nothing special right now." Tobias said as he thought about all of the areas he still struggled with. "I suck at using Arc and Solar Light. In fact, Ikora said my use of Golden Gun was borderline shameful."

"Ouch." Carmen said with a wince.

"Those weren't her exact words, but I kinda got the point." Tobias said with a chuckle.

"Well lucky for you, I'm a master Gunslinger! So I can teach you a thing or two about using Solar Light." Carmen declared before the doors of the elevator opened, revealing the plaza to them. And it was just starting to rain.

"Awesome, I'll definitely take you up on that offer." Tobias said before motioning for her to follow him through the plaza. The two of them jogged through the light rain fall, arriving at the staircase that took them down into a lower level beneath the plaza. As they journeyed down, Tobias noticed that a barrier had been raised to prevent the rain from flooding this lower level. Jumping over the barrier, the two of them entered the Hall of Guardians which Carmen immediately recognized.

"Geez, you'd think they'd redecorate this place at least once." Carmen muttered as she looked around. Almost everything was actually how she remembered it. The only thing that really stood out was a small area on the right side of the corridor where numerous spoils of victory had been mounted on the wall by Shaxx the Crucible Handler. Obviously he didn't have this position before the Battle of Twilight Gap.

Proceeding further down the hall, the small group arrived at the room at the end of the hall that acted as a home to the Vanguard Mentors. Only two of the Mentors were present at the moment, although they had a guest with them.

"Saladin!" Carmen called out, earning the attention of the Titan that stood beside Zavala. Both Zavala and Ikora raised an eyebrow as they looked at one another. They had never heard anyone address Saladin with his title. But the Titan of high status didn't seem to be affected by this. In fact, he was speechless. "Long time no see it seems!"

'My Young Wolf...' Saladin said inwardly. Staring at the girl, Saladin couldn't believe his eyes. It had been so long since he had last seen her. He could still remember their final conversation. It was just before the Battle of Twilight Gap broke out. He assigned her to Ana Bray's team to scout out the Fallen. When Ana had returned, she reported that she and her team had scattered after engaging a Kell, and Carmen never returned to the City. He could only assume the worst.

"Who is she?" Ikora asked curiously as she eyed Saladin.

"She was my third protégé." He replied softly, approaching her. "Is it really you?"

"In the flesh and blood!" She replied brightly. Saladin seemed to smile at this.

"Can you tell me what happened when you were with Ana's team? You disappeared…"

"There was a Fallen Kell that attacked us. Ana called for us to scatter, but I stayed back to give her a hand. We got separated by the Kell but I knew that she went back to the City. I decided to stay there and snoop around to see if there was anything else that the City needed to know about." Carmen explained to him. "I spent a few days up there following that Kell around before this fireteam shows up to kill him. They were all so stinkin' cool that I wanted to meet them, and I kinda followed them into a time portal."

Saladin was in shock as he now understood Carmen's disappearance. Or rather, she didn't disappear at all. She had been taken to the future!

"I see some things never change." Saladin noted. Carmen was still just as reckless and shortsighted as he remembered.

"So what's the plan Saladin?" Carmen asked, waiting for some direction from him. But Saladin only shook his head in response.

"I'm no longer the Vanguard Commander. This man is." Saladin said as he motioned to Zavala who straightened up as he approached them.

"Commander Zavala." He said, extending a hand toward her.

"Nice to meet you Zavala." She replied as they shook hands.

"Commander." Zavala repeated for her, motioning for her say it as well. Carmen only gave him a blank stare in return, tilting her head a bit.

"Don't bother with her Zavala, she's not going to say it. She's never once addressed me as Lord." Saladin said as he placed a hand on Zavala's shoulder.

"I see." Zavala noted. "That aside, Carmen, I'm going to assign you to fireteam Undaunted. They lost their leader in our recent encounter with the Fallen House of Wolves, so I expect you to pick up some of the slack."

"Right." Carmen said.

"And the same applies to you Tobias." Zavala said as he looked toward Tobias.

"Sure thing Commander." Tobias said with a nod.

"Hmm, kiss ass." Carmen said, sticking her tongue out at Tobias. But a sharp stare from Saladin immediately caused Carmen to straighten up.

"It's a shame about Briggs-6. He was truly an excellent Titan." Saladin said, getting a nod of agreement from Zavala.

"And Tobias, I would like to meet with you later this afternoon provided the rain stops." Ikora called out to him. "For now though, the two of you are free to do what you'd like. I'll brief you on your next assignment when we meet again."

"Thank you." Tobias said as he gave them all a wave.

"Carmen, I have some business with Zavala. But I'll get into contact with you once I have some time, alright." Saladin assured her.

"O-kay, see you later." She said as she and Tobias left the room.

The group of three waited a few moments to ensure that the two Guardians had left before looking at one another.

"So who exactly is Carmen?" Zavala asked. "I don't remember you ever saying a word about her."

Saladin gave a deep sigh at this.

"This was the reason you called me back to the Tower, right?" Saladin asked in return as he looked at his former student.

"Undaunted reported that she had said she trained under you. I thought this would be more than enough to bring you back for a while." Zavala replied. "So who is she?"

"I can't give you all of the details, but she's part of my past. And her coming to the future holds some significance as well." Saladin replied.

"So that's why you returned so hastily." Ikora noted.

"Yes, and now I have some things to attend to with her reappearance." Saladin stated as before he left the two of them.

* * *

"Niko?" Tobias said, surprised to the see the Hunter leaning against the wall, sheltering himself within the stairwell that led down to the Hall of Guardians. "What are you doing down here?"

"Can you guys do me a favor?" He asked, not even making eye contact with either of them. He kept his gaze fixated on his feet, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Uh, sure. What's up?" Tobias replied, causing Niko to point upward.

"Diana's been up there all morning. The rains starting to get heavy so please, take her inside before she catches a cold or something." Niko explained before handing Tobias an umbrella.

"Yeah, I'll get her." Tobias said as he opened the umbrella, heading out into the rain to see Diana for himself.

"Hey, wait up!" Carmen hollered as she placed her hands over her head, pursuing Tobias who had gone off by himself.

Just as Niko had said, Tobias found Diana on the level above the Hall of Guardians. It was covered with grass, with several trees placed here and there. But far against the back wall of the area, there was a tall stone pillar that stood proudly with multiple projectors surrounding it, casting a long list of names onto each side of the pillar.

Diana was kneeling down in front of the pillar with no sort of protection from the rain, her head hanging low and her clothing was already damp from the rain.

"Diana!" Tobias called out as he approached her. Coming to a stop beside her, Tobias placed the umbrella over her to shield her from the rainfall, kneeling down beside her. It was then he noticed that a bouquet of lilies had been placed at the base of the pillar. Glancing up at the pillar, Tobias began to examine it closely, reading some of the names himself. He didn't recognize any of the names as his eyes darted around, trying to figure out what this pillar stood for. But finally his gaze seemed to rest on a name that he was just beginning to know.

Briggs-6.

Tobias' eyes widened somewhat as he then realized what he was looking at. A memorial for Guardians that had been lost in battle. And Briggs had been added to the list.

Noticing that the rain had stopped hitting her, Diana looked to her side to discover that Tobias was with her now, looking at her with clear concern. Even with the rain water running down her face, Tobias could see that Diana's eyes were red from the tears she had shed.

"Diana, I'm here for you." He stated, placing a hand on her shoulder. Diana took a moment to look at his hand, and then she leaned over to place her head against his shoulder, beginning to sob once again.

Tobias admired his teammates, especially as he got to know them more. But Diana was just incredible. Even with the loss of Briggs weighing on her mind throughout the Battle of Twilight Gap, she had fought valiantly. She even found time to practice with him and take him out to dinner. Now it was his turn to return the favor.

Carmen was quietly crouched behind the two of them, barely managing to keep herself under the cover provided by the umbrella. She didn't have much of a chance to really speak with the members of Undaunted, but she was familiar with losing people that she was close to. But she wasn't sure if she could offer Diana any comfort at the moment.

"Come on Diana, let's go." Tobias whispered to her as he pat her back lightly. As she began to rise her rose as well, wrapping his free arm around her torso to guide her as they began to walk away from the memorial. Leading her away, Tobias looked up at Niko as he passed them by, receiving a nod of thanks from the Hunter as he went straight to the memorial.

Tobias came to a stop for a moment and he looked back at Niko, watching as he stopped in front of the pillar. He kneeled down, placing a hand against the stone for a moment before he looked up solemnly at the gray skies above. He wasn't bothered in the slightest by the rain hitting his face. Looking back to the Diana who stood beside him, Tobias could see just how important Briggs was to the two of them. And it was a shame that he didn't have a chance to really get to know Briggs the way the two of them did.

Maybe…if he had been stronger back on Venus, he could've done more. Maybe he could've stopped Skolas before he had pitched Briggs into the flow of time. If only…if only he had been stronger…

'I gotta be stronger than this.' Tobias said to himself as he began to walk again. 'I'm not going to let anyone else die.'

* * *

 _"Are you sure she wants to be alone?" Tobias asked Diana's Ghost as they stood outside of her room._

 _"Yeah, she just wants some time to herself." Her Ghost assured them. "I've requested a few personal days for her so that she can get herself together. Just give her some time."_

Returning to the plaza to check on Niko, Tobias and Carmen discovered that the Hunter had disappeared by the time they had come back. He was nowhere to be found. Fortunately, the rain had lightened up considerably and the sky was beginning to clear up, causing Carmen to pose the obvious question they had been wondering.

"So, what do we do now?"

Tobias punched his palm audibly in response.

"I don't know about you, but I need to get in some more practice."

"Well I've been itching to fight someone after seeing you guys fight that Kell." Carmen noted with a small grin on her face. "Let's do it!"

Before Tobias could utter another word he found himself pinned to the ground on his stomach with Carmen on his back, holding both his wrists to prevent him from retaliating.

"What the heck?" Tobias exclaimed.

"Come on Tobias, you can't expect me to go easy on you." Carmen replied cheekily as she rose up off of him. Once Tobias was back on his feet, their real spar began. Tobias hadn't set any rules for their duel, so Carmen held nothing back against him, and she was surprised by the result.

Tobias laid on his back, staring up the sky, amazed that he had been so thoroughly beaten by her. Every tactic, trick or tip he had picked up with since becoming a Guardian had been picked apart by Carmen. She was far more skilled than him when it came to hand to hand combat, and despite her lack of strength due to her size, her agility made up for it and then some. For such a young Guardian, she was a dangerous foe.

Carmen on the other hand was underwhelmed with this spar she had with Tobias. He had put on such an amazing display against Skolas, utilizing various abilities in quick succession to fight the Fallen Kell. But the person she had just sparred with couldn't a hold a candle to what she had seen him do before. He was slow and clunky, thinking about every move he was going to make and second guessing his decisions.

"Wow, you really do suck." She stated as she sat down beside him.

"I told you that myself." Tobias said as he held his side which was aching from all the blows he had received from Carmen. "You couldn't go easy on me or something?"

"I never go easy on anyone." Carmen stated as she made eye contact with Tobias.

"Well thanks for kicking my ass." Tobias replied sarcastically as he frowned at her. Carmen stuck out her tongue in response. A few slow claps drew their attention to a nearby tree which Ikora had been leaning against, observing their spar.

"Well done Carmen, I can see why Lord Saladin holds in such high regard." Ikora noted as she approached the duo of Guardians. Carmen shot her a wide grin as thanks.

"That's right, I almost forgot you wanted to see me." Tobias reminded himself as he rose up to greet Ikora properly.

"Yes, I'm glad the weather cleared up. I'm not a fan of the rain." Ikora explained. "But anyway, I'll get straight to the point. Despite your potential Tobias, your lack of training shows when you're fighting."

"What do you mean by that?" Tobias asked as he furrowed his brow.

"Zavala returned with a recording of your duel with Skolas, and you burned through your stamina using your many gifts of the Light. And without those gifts, you have little to no options to continue fighting." Ikora explained as she motioned the scout rifle hanging from his waist. She then paused for a moment, recalling the moment when she had first met Tobias. And she understood now why he was wearing a robes used by Warlocks despite the fact that they initially thought he was a Titan. Tobias was likely a Warlock at heart.

"So can I have a Sparrow?" Tobias asked, snapping Ikora out of her thoughts.

"Uh, well that wasn't on my list, but we can add it actually." Ikora replied, causing Tobias to pmp his fist.

"Sweetness." Tobias exclaimed, hoping that he wouldn't have to ride shotgun on anyone else Sparrow from this point forward.

"But first and foremost, I have someone that's been waiting to meet you." Ikora said as she extended an open hand toward Tobias. He slightly confused for a moment, tentatively raising his hand place it on Ikora's open palm, but a Ghost with a gray shell appeared above her hand, looking up at him with its single eye.

"Greeting Guardian, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." It said to him politely, lowering its head as if to bow to him.

"Is this your Ghost?" Tobias asked Ikora.

"No, this is _your_ Ghost." She stated, causing Tobias to raise his eyebrows in surprise. "You told us you didn't have one. But if there's anything that a Guardian needs, it's a weapon and a Ghost."

"You got that right." Carmen's Ghost muttered as it took shape beside the Hunter.

"I think I'd be just fine without you." Carmen shot back at her small companion.

"Please, have you forgotten all the times I had to open _doors_ for you?" Her Ghost retorted, earning a huff from Carmen.

"Well, it's nice to meet you too." Tobias replied to his Ghost as he extended an open hand toward it. The small drone jumped Ikora's hand to his own where it vanished from sight. Tobias looked around curiously, wondering where his small partner had gone.

"Ikora, typically a Ghost selects their Guardian after finding someone that is compatible with the Light. Why is that Tobias is receiving one?" Carmen's Ghost asked curiously as it flew over the Warlock Vanguard.

"Ah, well as I'm sure you know that Tobias is a special case. To our knowledge, all Ghosts have raised people that had died for one reason another and as you said, have compatibility with the Light. But according to the Speaker, Tobias is acting as a vessel for the Traveler. He's alive and capable doing anything another Guardian is capable of." Ikora revealed, causing Carmen to look toward Tobias curiously for a moment.

"I see." Carmen's Ghost noted.

"Bonding complete." Tobias' Ghost called out before it reappeared, hovering just above his shoulder. "I am now, at your service."

"Now that's great and all, but I have no clue what a Ghost does." Tobias said as he looked toward the other two Guardians that were with him.

"You're a Guardian but don't know what a Ghost does?" Carmen exclaimed.

"Carmen, calm down." Ikora said as she motioned for her to lower her voice. "Tobias lost his memory not too long ago, so information like this he may not remember."

Carmen pursed her lips now, he cheeks slightly colored in embarrassment.

"Whoops, my bad. So I'll explain just to make up for it." Carmen said sheepishly. "You Ghost is basically like a…a mule. They carry all your weapons and gear without a complaint about-"

"Hold it!" Carmen's Ghost snapped at her, earning a snicker from the small Hunter. "A mule!? That's what you think of me as?! A _mule_! If I had a pair of hands right now I'd wring that little neck of yours until your head pops off!"

"Puh-lease, you're nothing but a little pushover." Carmen fired back as the two of them began to bicker back and forth.

"Anyway Tobias, Carmen is right to an extent." Ikora said as she turned away from the duo, motioning for Tobias to do the same. "Your Ghost is your ultimate support. They can access the Vault where your store your armor and weapons, and retrieve them for you in a moment's notice."

"So I can carry around more than one weapon?" Tobias asked, receiving a nod from her.

"But they can so much more. They can make transmats for transportation, pilot ships and Sparrows, establish links between fireteams, the list goes on. Ghosts, are the coordinators of our effort against the Darkness. They make everything happen behind the scenes."

"Wow, you make me sound so cool Ikora." Tobias' Ghost remarked.

"Well your efforts are appreciated." She replied, much to the Ghost's delight. "So now that you have a Ghost, I want to make sure that you are truly prepared for future battles."

"Right, so what's next?" Tobias asked, causing Ikora to point out a booth that was tucked away in the corner of the plaza.

"We'll pay the Gunsmith Banshee a visit. I placed an order with him yesterday for you." Ikora explained. "It should be ready for you to pick up right now."

"Awesome, what'd you get me?" Tobias asked as she led him over to the booth.

Banshee was a rather tall Exo who stood underneath a small tent that he had raised over his counter. Multiple displays were set up, showcasing a variety of weapons from small hand cannons to large rocket launchers. Banshee himself was leaning on the counter, drumming his fingertips as he whistled softly.

"Hello Banshee, I'm here to pick up that order I placed last night?" Ikora asked as she waved to the Exo.

"You placed an order last night?" Banshee asked her in return, looking up in thought.

"Don't you remember?"

"Not in the slightest." He replied, earning a sigh from Ikora. "The last order I got was a big one though. They wanted every kind of weapon I had for some new Guardian to start practicing with."

"That's the order that I made, last night." Ikora stated, getting a look of shock from Banshee.

"What? No~. It felt like you had placed that order over a week ago. I was just beginning to think you weren't coming to get it." Banshee explained as he turned around to retrieve a large that were stacked up against the back wall of his booth.

"Don't mind him, his memory is shot." Ikora commented softly to Tobias who was definitely confused no. How could an Exo have faulty memory?

"Yup, here it is." Banshee said as he returned to them, setting the pod down on the counter in front of him. Waving his hand over the top of it, the whole thing split open, rotating to reveal all of the weapons that it contained. Every weapon type available.

Tobias felt a smirk form on his face at the sight of all of these weapons. All of them were for him.

"Tobias, let your Ghost collect these for you. That way it can call them from the Vault for you whenever you need them." Ikora instructed him. Tobias gave her a nod before allowing his small partner to begin its task. Scanning each weapon one at time, gradually they all vanished until his Ghost had taken all of them.

"The process is complete." It stated as it nodded to Tobias.

"Nice, thanks." Tobias said in reply.

"And thank you Banshee." Ikora said gratefully.

"Not a problem. And if you have any problems with these Guardians, come and see me. I'll tweak em' a bit for you. I happen to know a thing or two about guns." Banshee explained with a chuckle before Ikora motioned for Tobias to follow her.

"So where are we going now?" He inquired as she led him across the plaza, taking him into the corridor that he could remember using to head to where the Speaker was located.

"The armory." Ikora responded. "Back when we first met you, all of us were under the impression that you were a Titan based on what we had seen then. So Zavala had you fitted out in armor made for Titans. But now that we've come to know what you really are, I figured it was time we had you wearing whatever you're most comfortable in."

"Yeah, this armor is too heavy if you ask me. I want something lighter." Tobias pointed out.

* * *

"Ah, another new face!" An older woman exclaimed at the sight of Tobias entering her workshop.

"Tobias, this is Eva Levante the Guardian Outfitter." Ikora explained as she introduced him to her. Tobias extended a hand toward her but Eva skipped right past his hand and embraced him. Tobias was caught off guard by this, but he accepted the hug without a second thought.

"I'm so glad that you came by the visit old Eva." She said graciously she invited Ikora and Tobias to join her on the sofa that was set up in the corner of her workshop.

"Hmm, you weren't here the last time I was here." Tobias noted. He would have certainly remembered a kind woman like this.

"Recently I had to take a personal day to attend to some business." Eva replied as they all took a seat. "But that's beside the point; do you all want a drink, or perhaps a snack?"

"No thanks." Ikora replied, earning a frown from Eva.

"Ikora, you have to eat or you'll never find a man with that figure." Eva commented, causing Ikora to lean back into the sofa with her arms folded in front of her chest. Tobias stifled a laugh, which earned a sharp glance from Ikora before he could go any further. "Well how about you young one?"

Realizing that she was talking to him now, Tobias took a moment to think about it before shrugging his shoulders.

"Yeah, why not." Tobias said with a small smile. Eva rose up from her seat and disappeared into the doorway at the back of her shop. "So what exactly does she do?"

"As the Guardian Outfitter, she prepares armor and gear for us. Mainly she functions as a designer for the armory, and they'll mass produce her designs. But from time to time she'll personally get involved with a Guardian and make some armor by hand for them." Ikora explained, surprising Tobias that this elderly woman still did so much.

Eva finally returned with a small platter in hand. Approaching Tobias and Ikora, she lowered the platform to reveal that she had poured each of them some iced tea and had cut a slice of key lime pie for them. Tobias whistled at the sight of the pie, picking up it up and having a taste with no hesitation.

"Oh my God." He exclaimed. It was so rich! "This is amazing."

"Aww, why thank you." Eva said kindly as she pulled up her shawl a bit, trying to keep her neck warm. "It'll be getting colder soon Ikora. I finished that scarf for you if you'd like to see it."

"I'd love to." Ikora replied. "But after we finish with Tobias."

"Oh my, I'm sorry. I've gone and distracted you guys. I hope I haven't taken too much of your time." Eva said to them.

"For another slice of pie, I'd spend the rest of my life here." Tobias replied as he set down his place having finished his treat.

"I'll give you another slice for the road, how about that?" Eva offered him with a warm smile.

"That would be wonderful."

"Okay then, so what can I do for the two of you?" Eva asked them.

* * *

Ikora felt her lips curving upward as she stared at Tobias who had turned around to face them now. He was now clad in his new set of armor which Eva had pieced together for him using some of what she had available in her shop. Tobias had abandoned almost anything that had to do with Titan gear, trading it in for a long black overcoat with a high collar and a pair of belts crisscrossing in front of his chest. He also wore a pair of think slacks that were stuffed into the boots he wore.

Concealed underneath his overcoat was a pair of tantos that were strapped to the large belt around his waist. Niko had suggested that he keep more than one tanto in the scenario that these became his primary weapon. Tobias was dressed more like a Warlock than anything else, but he had some slight touches from the other classes as well. He kept his weapons concealed as though he was Hunter, and he wore various shoulder, knee and elbow guards to protect his joins like a Titan.

"I must say, this gear does suit you better than what you were wearing before." His Ghost said, getting nod of agreement from Tobias.

"It feels better too." Tobias said. Now he didn't feel weighed down by the armor. He was as light as feather again.

"I'm so happy to hear that." Eva said as she clapped her hands together, pleased with Tobias' new appearance.

Ikora remained seated on the sofa, observing Tobias in silence. He really did look better dressed as a Warlock. And he continued to mention how he felt better dressed like this well. In passing these weren't much to think about, but Ikora found herself trying to read in between the lines.

He was most comfortable in the lighter clothing used by Warlocks, Diana reported that he was excellent and wielding Void Light. If Tobias was indeed the first Guardian as the Speaker had said, it was very likely that he may be the origin of all Warlocks. Ikora found herself trying to imagine Tobias as he developed these abilities following the Collapse.

Feeling something being placed on her lap, Ikora blinked a few times as she came out of her thoughts. Eva had placed the scarf she had made for Ikora on her lap, looking at the Warlock Vanguard with a warm smile.

"Oh, why thank you Eva. It's beautiful." Ikora said as she admired the handmade scarf.

"You're very welcome dear." Eva replied as Ikora rose from her seat.

"Alright Tobias, since you're dressed to impress now, I think we should go see that last person I wanted you to meet today." Ikora stated as she began to head for the exit of Eva's small workshop.

"Right." Tobias said before he turned to Eva, giving her a grin. "Thanks for all your help Eva. And next time you make another key lime pie, save me a slice."

"Of course. And don't be shy about visiting old Eva." She called out in response as Tobias went out, following Ikora back up to the main plaza. Upon entering the plaza, the two of them were greeted by Carmen who had been eagerly awaiting their return.

"Geez, I thought you guys ditched me!" She exclaimed as she joined the two of them.

"I wouldn't think of it Carmen." Ikora replied, once again motioning for her to lower her voice. "Now, the last person I wanted you to meet is waiting for us up here."

Ikora took them over to the far end of the plaza, where a large bounty board had been set up with a thing and fragile looking bot stood, its arms folded behind its back.

"Xander?" Ikora said as she approached it.

"Yes?" It replied, turning to face them.

"Carmen, Tobias, this is Xander 99-40, the bounty tracker. We have operators and Guardians all over the system that collect information to generate tasks for the Guardians. Things like, maintaining the walls of the City, helping the citizens of that live within our walls, or keeping our enemies in check, those tasks are all gathered here." Ikora explained as she motioned to the bot. "Xander here keeps track of everything. So if you are ever lacking work to do, just pay him a visit. So do you have anything for these two?"

"With so many of the Guardians focused on the effort against the House of Wolves, I have an overflow of bounties." Xander replied.

"Excellent. These two could use a few tasks to complete." Ikora said.

"Alright, issuing bounties." Xander stated as their Ghosts appeared to collect the information provided from Xander. "Exchange complete."

"Good. Carmen, can I entrust Tobias to you while you're out in the field together?" Ikora asked her, receiving a confident nod from the Hunter.

"O' course I will." She said sweetly.

"Very good. Come back safely, and good luck out there." Ikora said, giving them a two fingered salute which they returned.

A/N

Awesome, so we're completely done with the battle against the House of Wolves. This was just a wrap up chapter as we start transitioning to the next section. I really can't wait to start this next part, but I've been busy as of late so I haven't been updating as often as I'd like. Hopefully I'll have some free time during the summer to consistently update this. Thanks for reading everyone and thanks for the support as well, and we'll meet again at my next installment.


	12. A Step Forward

**Chapter 12**

* * *

 **Old Russia**

 **Cosmodrome**

 **Mothyards**

"Whooo~!" Tobias hollered as he twisted the handlebars of his Sparrow, accelerating as he raced ahead of Carmen. The two of them flew through a desolate open plain where the remains of various aircrafts were scattered about, but Tobias paid no mind to his surroundings. He was far too absorbed in riding his Sparrow!

"Geez, can you tone it down a little?" Carmen barked at him. "You've been screaming like this since we got on our Sparrows when we landed!"

"Can't help it, I'm king of the world right now!" Tobias shouted in return with a bright grin as the two of them charged up a steep incline, approaching the site of their mission. Resting at the top of this large hill was the Lunar Complex, the entrance of which was guarded by a Fallen Captain and a pair of Vandals. As these enemies came into view, Tobias turned his Sparrow to the side to come to a stop so that he could engage them on foot. But Carmen had another idea.

Pushing down on the throttle, Carmen raced past Tobias, making a bee line toward the Fallen.

"Carmen, what are you doing?!" Tobias yelled, but she didn't give him a response. The Fallen perked up hearing the roar of Carmen's Sparrow, quickly drawing their weapons to begin firing at her. Carmen was undeterred by this as she continued her approaching, going right through the weapon fire.

Eyeing the Captain, Carmen labeled that as her first target. Raising her legs to put her feet on the seat of her Sparrow, Carmen smirked as she leapt into the air just before making contact with the Captain. The beast gave a deafening roar as the Sparrow pierced its torso, carrying it off into the building where it soon crashed, exploding on impact. Distracted by the sudden removal of their leader, the Vandals stared at the entrance of the complex which the Captain had disappeared into, unaware of the Hunter that was still in the air above them.

Pulling out a pair of throwing knives from the kit on her waist, Carmen twirled in the air, throwing out both of them at the remaining Vandals. As she landed on the ground, the two Vandals sunk to the ground as well with a knife buried in their foreheads, clearing the entrance to the Lunar Complex.

"Damn." Tobias said softly as Carmen dusted off her hands with a shrug.

"Some king of the world you are." Carmen commented as Tobias approached her. He shot her a narrow glance, but after seeing her skewer a Fallen Captain with her Sparrow, he didn't have anything to say.

"Like you're one to talk Carmen. You come across as such a brute abusing your Sparrow like that." Her Ghost commented.

"It's not like my Sparrow is going to complain." Carmen muttered in response, gaining a sigh from her Ghost.

"My sensors are picking up on the data center we're looking for." Tobias' Ghost called out, refocusing the group of their first objective.

Their short meeting with Xander 99-40 had resulted in them receiving two missions. The first of which involved a journey into the Lunar Complex. The only building had been standing here since the Collapse, and according to Future War Cult, it was linked to an array station that had been reactivated by the Guardians not too long ago. There was a possibility that this building might have some clues as to why the array station had been shut down during the Collapse.

Venturing into the building, the two of them pressed through a number of damaged corridors before arriving in a small room that had a number of large terminals in it.

"Alright Ghost, the stage is yours now." Tobias said as his Ghost appeared along with Carmen's. The two drones got to work immediately, reactivating the consoles and accessing them to see what they could pull from it.

"Hmm. So the team that used this room was responsible for the maintenance of the software within the array station." Tobias' Ghost explained. "We're only scratching the surface here though. There were various times that worked within this building, but I think the terminal we're looking for is on one of the upper levels."

"What do you need from that one specifically?" Tobias asked curiously as their Ghosts returned to them.

"This terminal contains entries that are dated up to the Collapse. Hopefully those can enlighten us on what took place in the array station before the Collapse took place."

"Okay, sounds good to me." Tobias said as he looked toward Carmen who was waiting by the entrance to the stairwell that would take them to the next level. But the walls of this corridor was corroded and filled with jagged crystals that had an eerie glow.

"Why is this place so freakin' creepy!" Carmen shouted as tentatively looked up the dark stairway. Her Ghost quickly activated the night vision setting within her interface before it began to scan the floor above them.

"I'm not detecting any enemies, but according to the Vanguard records, this building used to be occupied by the Hive." Her Ghost explained as Tobias took the lead, heading up to the next floor.

"It looks like we cleared them out though." Tobias commented as they arrived at the next room where he could see bullet holes in the walls and consoles, along with numerous scratches on the floors. Most of the terminals here were too damaged to be used, so the group pressed onward to the next floor. Upon arriving at this room, their Ghosts immediately pointed out the terminal they were looking for. It was placed on top of a platform, and it was clearly larger than any of the ones they had seen below.

"Good luck." Tobias said to his Ghost as it began work on the terminal, sorting through the vast amount of information it had been retaining. They all stood in silence for a while, Tobias patiently waiting to see what his Ghost had gathered. On the other hand, Carmen was pacing back and forth, unable to stay calm. She didn't like it here one bit.

"What's taking so long?" She snapped at them, approaching the terminal where their Ghosts had been hard at work.

"Calm down Carmen, we're working as fast as we can. But there's been a few complications." Her Ghost responded as it turned to face her. Both Guardians perked up at the news.

"Complication?" Carmen repeated.

"Like what?" Tobias asked.

"This array station was directly linked to the interplanetary defense network that had been established during the Golden Age. But it was shut down as soon as the Collapse began." Her Ghost continued.

"So the array station went down before the Collapse? Have you figured out what happened yet?" Tobias inquired now.

"No, not just the array station. The _entire_ defense network was shut down." His Ghost stated, causing Carmen furrow her brow.

"Wait, why would they shut down the defense network when they needed to defend themselves?" Carmen asked incredulously. "Who would be stupid enough to do something like that?"

"Rasputin." Her Ghost called out.

"Rasputin? The heck is that?" Carmen said as she looked around at the group for an answer.

"Rasputin is an AI Warmind. He was built during the Golden Age along with other Warminds to protect humanity. According to these logs, he initiated a total shutdown of the defense network along with a few of the other Warminds. But there's no explanation as to why he gave this order." Her Ghost went on.

"So what does all of this mean?" She asked.

"Well at the moment it doesn't really mean anything. But I feel like we should go over to the commander center of the array station to see if we can learn anything about Rasputin." Tobias' Ghost said, getting a nod of agreement from Carmen.

"Whatever gets us out of here quicker." She said thankfully now that they were finally leaving this old decrepit building. "Let's go!"

Carmen hopped over the banister behind them, beginning to jog in place since she was ready to go. But glancing back up at Tobias, she discovered that he wasn't moving at all.

"Yo Tobias, are you coming?" She hollered at him, snapping him out of his thought .

"What?" He asked, turning around to discover that she already had some distance on him. "When did you get over there?"

"Come on, we're leaving. Are you going deaf?" Carmen asked in him cheekily.

"Nah, I'm fine. He said, shaking his head as he jumped down to join her as well. Walking alongside her now, Tobias could help but let his mind wonder. Rasputin sounded so familiar to him, but he couldn't figure out why.

 _"Hopefully with the creation of Rasputin, our Golden Age will last forever."_

Who said that to him? Tobias placed a hand against the chin of his helmet, struggling to figure this out. With an exasperated sigh, Tobias shook his head and tossed this thought out of his mind. He couldn't remember, but he was certain that he wasn't making this up. Could Diana's hunch about him have been right? Was he alive during the Golden Age?

"Huh, well I think the two of you are going to like this?" Tobias Ghost noted as they entered a long corridor that they could feel a breeze passing through.

"What's up?"

"Remember we have also have a second mission to complete. This one involves investigating some remnants of the House of Wolves that have been lurking around the Cosmodrome. They were last reported sighting was at the central hub this array station, where we're currently heading." His Ghost explained, getting a nod from Tobias.

"Nice, two birds with one stone." He said. Carmen had been stealing all the action too, so hopefully if they were going after the Wolves there would be enough to go around.

Arriving at the end of this corridor, the two of them exited the building much to Carmen's delight. They were now resting at the bottom of clearing between buildings where they could see signs of a battle.

"Oh crap!" Tobias exclaimed at the sight of the building to the left. There was a massive Hive Seeder that had destroyed a portion of the structure, as if it had been dropped down onto the building.

"A Hive Seeder!" Carmen shouted as she drew her weapons.

"Weapons down Carmen, there's nothing to worry about." Her Ghost stated. "That Seeder was cleaned about by the Vanguard right after it dropped. It hasn't seen any activity since Crota was killed."

"Whoa, wait a second, Crota was killed?!" Carmen shouted as they continued through the field. She had heard tales of the disaster on the Moon while she had been training with Saladin. All of the Guardians that had been lost to Crota's sword. How the Moon had been deemed off limits and yet things had changed drastically. She really had gone to the future! "Oh that's crazy, who took him out?"

"It was Undaunted actually, the fireteam you're working with now." Her Ghost added.

"No way~, were you there for that too Tobias?" She asked him, excited to hear the story of how they defeated Crota. But Tobias shook his head in response.

"Nope. You'll have to talk to Niko or Diana about that one." Tobias said, although he wanted know more about this as well.

"It was quite the story according to their report. But we'll have to come back to this later. I'm already detecting enemies within this building, so stay on guard." Tobias' Ghost said as they approached the entrance to the Terrestrial Complex. Just entering the building though earned the attention of the creatures that had been housing themselves there.

"Yup, those are Wolves alright." Tobias commented as he spotted the banner that hung from the ceiling with the insignia of the Wolves on it. It was almost like they were marking their territory with it. Vandals and Dregs began to step out from their hiding places, weapons raised at the pair of Guardians. After inspecting the banner, Tobias noticed that he could see the Fallen perched on the beams up there as well, glaring down at them.

"Two of us against like…thirty of them." Tobias noted as he drew his hand cannon. "What do you think of those odds?"

"That sounds pretty bad." Carmen replied with a grin. "For them."

* * *

Tobias frowned as he tucked away his hand cannon onto the small strap around his waist. He had seen Niko use one of these so effortlessly, and even Carmen was using one right in front of him with no trouble at all, but he couldn't aim at all with it.

Carmen told him to pace his shots, and make sure that he lined up the sights with his target, but he was still missing. Not to mention the weapon kicked so hard after each shot that it was difficult to follow up if he had to fire quickly. Just like when he was first using his scout rifle.

They had succeeded in clearing out the entrance to the Terrestrial Complex, and had gone in further where they could definitely label the place a den for the House of Wolves. Tobias had ample opportunity to shoot his hand cannon, but he was very jerky as he struggled to use it. It was only slowing him down.

Rather than switching his primary weapon though, Tobias decided to invest some time into using a secondary weapon, a fusion rifle. It was worth a shot, and Tobias was pleased with the way it functioned to say the least. Using a fusion rifle allowed him to rely more on his abilities rather than his weapons. With the burst fire on a fusion rifle, accuracy wasn't the end all by all, especially since just one bolt from it was usually enough to waste his opponent. He could toss around Vortex grenades and dive in with his fusion rifle to clean up the mess. He liked that thought.

"Once we get out of this room, it's a straight shot to the control station." Carmen's Ghost called out. Ducking in and out of cover, Carmen gunned down the Wolves with ease.

"Boom, headshot!" She proclaimed as another Vandal dropped to the ground with a hole in its forehead.

"Tch, show off." Tobias muttered as he raised his fusion rifle, but as he began to charge the weapon the Dreg he was aiming at fell to the floor with one of Carmen's throwing knives in its neck causing Tobias to waste a round. "Dang man, so greedy!"

"You're just too slow." Carmen replied a she blew a raspberry at him. She then bounded off the wall to flank a pair of Dregs that had been focusing on Tobias. Pulling out her tanto, Carmen lashed out at the closest one, severing the arm that held its weapon before raising her hand cannon to put a pair of bullets into its chest. Hearing its partner scream in pain, the remaining Dreg turned with its shock rifle aimed at Carmen. But before it could fire at Carmen it was vaporized by the bolts from Tobias' fusion rifle. "Good shot."

"I still don't get how you use that thing." Tobias said as he motioned to the hand cannon she held.

"What about it?" Carmen asked as they continued out into the large balcony that over looked the wide structure that pointed up toward the skies above.

"Well I like my scout rifle because there's an actual scope that zooms in on my target. When I'm using a hand cannon I'm relying on my eyes and the sights." Tobias explained. "It might just be my vision or something."

"Everyone has their preferences. That's why there's so many different types of weapons and sub categories. Give something else a shot, like a pulse rifle."

Tobias shrugged and accepted her suggestion. His Ghost quickly swapped out his weapons, placing a pulse rifle in his hands, and Tobias immediately felt more natural just hold it. Having both his hands wrapped around the frame of the weapon felt right, although he now understood the freedom gained from having a hand cannon since you could wield the weapon with just one hand. Hopefully using a pulse rifle would feel better though.

"Whoa!" Tobias exclaimed after pulling the trigger. The burst of three shots caught him off guard, but he instantly thought of pelting the Fallen with this pulse rifle, and he could definitely get behind that thought.

"It looks like you've never fired on before, so it takes some time to get used to the burst fire. But pulse rifles are deadly in the right hands." Carmen commented with a smirk.

"Aww yeah." Tobias said in response as he looked down at his weapon. He was definitely going to figure out how to use a pulse rifle to its fullest potential.

"Oh my, it looks like someone beat us here." Carmen's Ghost noted. The small drone was far ahead on them, inspecting the bodies of the Wolves that were scattered about the area. Someone else had already passed through the slaughtered the Fallen here.

"Who else would be here?" Carmen asked as she and Tobias began to travel up to the control station now, observing the carcasses that lay about.

"Damn, no mercy." Tobias said as he eyed a Captain that was pinned to a column by numerous throwing knives. Entering the control station now, the two of them began to look around but before they really had a chance to inspect the room two figures jumped down from the ceiling above them.

"Look out!" Carmen called out as she drew her tanto, using it to intercept the blade that her attacker was using. It was a Hunter that stood in front of her, wielding the same weapon as well. The two blades meet with a resounding clang while Tobias found himself staring down the barrel of a shotgun held by a Warlock.

"I surrender!" Tobias declared. He wouldn't be able to draw any of his weapons in time.

"Weak sauce." Carmen muttered as she and the Hunter continued their stare down.

"Put your hands up then, I don't want any funny business." The Warlock ordered. Tobias' eyes twinkled as he began to raise his arms, throwing his forearm into the shotgun to knock it up leaving the Warlock unprotected. Seeing the opening now, Tobias kneed the Warlock in the stomach.

"Move Carmen!" Tobias called out as the Warlock hunched over from the blow. Grabbing the back of his robes, Tobias threw the Warlock forward at Carmen who quickly leaped out of the way for the Warlock to crashing into his teammate.

"Hehe, nice one Tobias." Carmen said as they looked down at the pair of Guardians that were on the floor, groaning and complaining.

"Come on guys, you weren't supposed to get embarrassed by Undaunted's newest members." A new voice called out as a third Guardian jumped down from the ceiling. This one was a Titan.

"Oh shut it Zeke, we didn't even want to do this in the first place." The Hunter mumbled as she was helped to her feet by the Warlock.

"Quit being such a killjoy Sheryl." Zeke shot back. "Axel, you thought this was a good idea right?"

"I said that I liked the idea of measuring ourselves against Undaunted, but attacking them was foolish." The Warlock responded, causing Zeke to deadpan.

"Alright, I'm lost now! What the heck are you three freaks goin' on about?!" Carmen shouted at them, receiving their attention. Zeke, the Titan, gave a nervous chuckle in response as he turned to face Carmen and Tobias.

"We haven't met yet Carmen, but they call me Zeke." He stated, introducing himself. "I'm the leader of fireteam Salamander, the only fireteam out there to rival Undaunted."

Carmen narrowed her eyes as she sized up the group skeptically. The Hunter and Warlock had caught them off guard, yet Tobias easily turned the table on them. There was no way that this group was as good as the actual members of Undaunted.

"I doubt that." Carmen said, causing both Sheryl and Axel to roar with laughter as Zeke's dropped his head. Carmen then pointed toward Axel and Sheryl. "First of all, neither of you were even going at us seriously so we turned things around easily. I have idea if you're the real deal or not."

"I knew you guys weren't even trying!" Zeke exclaimed causing Sheryl to roll her eyes.

"Well, I'll go out on a limb and tell the truth." Axel said as he raised his hand. "We're not rivals with Undaunted. We're not even in the same league as them. We look up to them though, and one day we'd like to be on the same level as them."

"After hearing that they added two new members, we thought we use you guys as a measuring stick to see how we stack up to them." Zeke explained before looking back at his two partners. "But certain people that it was dumb idea."

"Because it was!" Sheryl shot back at him. "Attacking them isn't the way to get on their good side."

"The measure of a Guardian is proven on the battlefield." Zeke stated. "This was the only to see how far we've come."

"Whatever~" Sheryl replied.

"So can I asked what the three of you are doing here?" Tobias' Ghost asked them as it took shape beside him. It was rather odd to run into another fireteam that was waiting at their destination. Zeke responded with another nervous chuckle.

"Well, I was kind of, listening in on the missions you guys received from Xander." Zeke explained.

"You guys were stalking us?!" Carmen shouted as she pointed at them.

"Not us." Sheryl said before motioning to Zeke. "Just him."

"Wow, you're just going to throw me under the Sparrow like that?!" Zeke exclaimed as he raised his hands in his defense.

"That's not the issue though, the reason I'm asking is because we're conducting an investigation about what took place in this array station during the Collapse." Tobias' Ghost cut in. "I'm curious to see if you all managed to gather any clues."

"Uh, no sorry. We didn't exactly have the details on this assignment. We just knew where you were going, and when we got here we ran into the Fallen so we cleared them out." Zeke explained as he looked around the Fallen they had slain.

"Well thanks for hogging all the action." Carmen muttered, receiving an elbow from Tobias.

"Hey, they just saved us a few minutes so be thankful. Besides, I want to know more about Rasputin anyway." Tobias said, immediately gaining the full attention of fireteam Salamander.

"Did you say, Rasputin?" Axel asked as they all drew closer now.

"Indeed he did. Our investigation of the Lunar Complex led us here. Some of the logs we found there confirmed that Rasputin shut down this array station during the Collapse, and now we're trying to determine _why_ he did that." Tobias' Ghost went on.

"Oh crap, this could be out big shot." Zeke noted as he turned to his teammates.

"Big shot?" Tobias repeated as he looked at them.

"Yeah man, Undaunted always lands all of the big missions. Whether the Vanguard ordered it, or their dumb luck, they're always in the spotlight." Zeke explained, causing Tobias to raise his eyebrow. "But now lady luck is finally looking our way!"

"Just think about it, if we find a new lead that takes us to Rasputin, that'll put fireteam Salamander right up there with the names people actually remember." Axel added almost gleefully as their heads became inflated.

"Not to burst your bubble or anything, but we're the ones who actually found this lead. But I'll be happy to add that you attacked us in my report." Carmen pointed out causing three of them shrink back down. "I'm sure everyone will remember you guys."

"Oh come on now; we can work together now. After all, I'm sure the two of you could use a little guidance considering you're newer Guardians. Am I right?" Zeke asked them as he now stood between Carmen and Tobias, placing and arm around aech of them.

"Pfft, I'd rather be led by a headless Vandal." Carmen said to him as she stuck out her tongue.

"Ignore her." Carmen's Ghost interjected as it formed as well. "The more the merrier, especially with the direction this mission is heading in."

"Al-right! Now that's what I'm talking about!" Zeke held as he threw a fist into the air. "Let's get moving then, what do we have to do?"

"Now that we're in the control station of the array, I'm sure there should be something we can use to see exactly what took place before the station was shut down." Tobias' Ghost explained as it led them across the room to a lonely terminal that was against the far well.

"Is Rasputin, like, alive?" Axel asked curiously.

"We're not certain at this point. But I think the answer to all our questions is here." Ghost replied before it began to tap into the terminal.

"So can anyone tell me a little more about Rasputin?" Tobias asked, surprising fireteam Salamander.

"You don't know Rasputin?" Axel asked incredulously. Tobias shook his head in reply.

"I'll fill you in. Rasputin is an AI Warmind. He was built with the intention of protecting humanity during the Golden Age as human life began to expand out into the system. As we spread out, no one really know what was out there beyond Earth so a defense network was established around the system that still stands to this day." Sheryl explained, providing them with this brief history lesson. "You can think of the Warminds as commanders of this network, but all of them fell during the Collapse. Rasputin is the only known Warmind that the Vanguard has been tracking but they haven't had much luck in a while. The defense network is dormant around the system, but if we can find and reactivate Rasputin, the Guardians will have a powerful ally on our side."

Tobias nodded his head slowly. With all of the enemies he was learning about today, it sounded like the Guardians needed all of the help they could get.

"Just think man, reactivating Rasputin will be huge! The Vanguard might have to give us some kind of Medal of Honor or something." Zeke pointed out causing his teammates to look up hopefully at the prospect.

"Hmm, that's interesting." Tobias' Ghost noted, gaining everyone's attention.

"Did you find something, like Rasputin?" Zeke inquired.

"Unfortunately, I didn't find anything related to Rasputin. But I can confirm a few things now." Ghost continued as the group of Guardians quieted down now. "The array station was reactivated by a fireteam not too long ago, reestablishing its connection to the defense network across the system. But as Sheryl said, there's no Warmind present to take control of the network. It remains dormant."

"Dang man." Zeke muttered.

"But there are reports here dated to just before the Collapse. Reports that were actually made by Rasputin himself." Ghost said, causing them all to perk up.

"What did he say?" Sheryl asked now.

"According to these reports, long range sensors had picked up on an anomaly that was approaching our system. Rasputin met this anomaly with his outermost defenses but they were utterly destroyed. This is mankind's first meeting with the Darkness." Ghost explained to the group. "Unable to stop the Darkness, Rasputin began to launch all sorts of protocols, one of them being to shut down the defense network in the face of certain doom."

"Why would he do that though, wasn't there like a group of scientists who could make him fight?" Carmen asked, wondering how an AI could do something of this caliber.

"It seems as though, Rasputin possessed a mind of his own. In earlier reports, humans always provided a measure of supervision over Rasputin's activity. But as the Darkness approached, you can see a vast difference in his decision making. Almost like, he was trying to preserve _himself_ rather than humanity." Tobias' Ghost went on, surprising the group.

"Are you serious?" Sheryl whispered.

"That's ridiculous." Axel said.

"Damn, I never even thought that Rasputin might just turn his back on us." Zeke noted softy.

"If we can even find him." Sheryl muttered as the mood around them dampened. They had gotten so hyped over this, but now all of it was gone in a moment's notice. Tobias felt kind of bad that they had gotten their hopes up.

"Well uh, I guess better luck next time guys." Tobias said, trying to offer some kind of support. The members of fireteam Salamander looked toward him now.

"Man, screw Rasputin!" Zeke shouted, causing Tobias to cringe. "If he doesn't want to help us then that means there's more asses for _us_ to kick!"

"Damn straight!" Axel added as the energy returned to them. "We just gotta keep slapping around the bad guys and our big shot will come along!"

"That's right." Sheryl said. She didn't quite match the energy of her two teammates, but three of them started giving each other high fives as if nothing had happened.

"Come on guys, let's head down to the Forgotten Shore and start another training sessions!" Zeke declared, getting a cheer from his comrades. "Do you guys want to join us?"

"For real?" Tobias asked, furrowing his brow.

"Yeah, like her Ghost said, the more the merrier." Sheryl replied.

"Heh, sounds good to me." Carmen said with a grin.

"Okay, I'm all for it then." Tobias said with a nod. Even though this fireteam had admitted they weren't quite as good as Diana and Niko, there was always something that Tobias could learn from them. He wouldn't let this opportunity to go to waste.

 **Forgotten Shore**

"Hi-yah!" Zeke shouted as he lashed out at Axel with a side kick.

"Hi-yah?" Axel said as he used his forearm to block the kick. "We're not in some old kung fu movie man."

The two male members of Salamander had immediately rushed off into a sparring match after they had arrived at the Forgotten Shore, leaving the pair of Hunters with Tobias. The three of them stood a considerable distance from Zeke and Axel, although they could still hear the two of the shouting as they traded blows.

"Alright Tobias, class is in session!" Carmen hollered at Tobias to get his attention.

"Sheesh, what are you screaming for?" Tobias asked her.

"Well I'm the teacher so I'm in charge, and this how I teach." Carmen replied causing Tobias to snort.

"Whatever you say, sensei." Tobias said to her causing her to smile.

"Now that's more like it." She declared. "So before we begin Tobias, let me ask you a question."

"Yeah, go for it."

"Is there any reason why you rely so heavily on Arc Blade and Nova Bomb?" Carmen asked, recalling when she had seen him duel with Skolas.

"There the only moves I really know." Tobias replied as Sheryl stared at the two of them, completely dumbfounded.

"Hold on a second, Arc Blade and Nova Bomb. Something doesn't sound right there." Sheryl stated as she looked at Tobias.

"Oh, you probably don't know." Carmen commented before she motioned to Tobias. "This guy is some kind of freak of nature, he can use any subclass he wants to."

"You're kidding me." Sheryl said softly as she stared at Tobias, completely bewildered. Was such a thing possible?

"You'll see in a minute. But hold on, I'm not finished chewing him out yet." Carmen stated as she focused on Tobias again. "So like I was saying, you spam Arc Blade and Nova Bomb. Obviously you'll find success doing that, but you don't really use any of your other abilities, or your weapons for that matter. You don't have a neutral game."

"What do you mean by that?" Tobias asked her.

"Think back to when you were fighting that Kell. You ran out of stamina at the most crucial moment because you used all your energy to sustain Arc Blade for a long period of time. You can't do stuff like that unless you have other Guardians making Orbs of Light for you." Carmen went on. Tobias gave a nod, remember that Diana had explained a tactic like that to him on Venus. "So that's why you need a neutral game, to conserve your energy for the key moments."

"Alright then, so what's a neutral game?"

"Everything else basically. Hand to hand combat, casting over shields, general weapons skills, the list goes on. You can use these at any point in the battle without severely depleting your stamina, that way you can use your supers to sway a battle in your favor." Carmen continued in matter of fact tone, proud that she sounded so official as an instructor.

"Awesome, just show me what I need to do?" Tobias stated as he took a moment to look at each of the Hunters in front of him.

"Gunslingers have a really strong neutral game because we emphasize using our weapons above everything else." Sheryl began, recalling that Carmen had asked for her help in instructing Tobias on his path to become a Gunslinger. "Through intense practice, Gunslingers refine their weapon handling skills to the point where we're miles ahead of every other class. That alone can be a game changer when you're in a pinch."

"We also do a lot of knife work too." Carmen added as she whipped out on of her throwing knives. Tobias briefly remembered Arron saving him with a throwing knife during his only Crucible match. He definitely wanted to be able to use one of those effectively.

"So what are waiting for, let's get started!" Tobias said energetically.

* * *

The group of five sat around a small campfire that had been put together by Zeke. Each of them had taken off their helmets to relax a bit now that their day was coming to an end.

"Wow Tobias, you're amazing." Carmen began with a snicker. "I didn't think it was possible for someone to be so pathetic as a Hunter."

The members of Salamander snorted, trying to hold back their laughter.

"I wasn't that bad." Tobias retorted, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Oh yes you were." Sheryl cut in with one eyebrow raised. She was a light skinned woman with dark hair that was cut short save for her bangs that framed her face. Oddly enough she wore a pair of glasses whenever she removed her helmet. She could recall wearing glasses before she became a Guardian, and she didn't feel right without them, even though she didn't need them.

After her first experience with Tobias, Sheryl was actually disappointed. They had seen the report of Tobias fighting Skolas to a standstill when he and Undaunted had gone back in time. But to see him now, she could clearly see that Tobias was no Hunter. It was clear that he still had ways to go in a lot of areas, but there was no denying that he was quite the prospect. She could see why the Vanguard had entrusted him to Undaunted.

"Don't worry though Tobias, I'll turn you into a Gunslinger. Even if I have to _break_ you." Carmen stated as she closed one of her hands into a tight fist. "I just hope we don't die from old age first."

The group cracked up at this while Tobias glanced out at the horizon where he could see the sun steadily disappearing into. The skies above them were golden with a soft breeze passing through. Tobias felt relaxed right now. There was nothing pressing that had to be taken care of, and he was finally getting a chance to sit back and look at the world he was trying to protect. It was beautiful, even in its current state. He could only imagine what it would be like it if the Darkness had never ravaged these lands.

"Psst, Tobias." Zeke whispered to him.

"What's up?" Tobias asked as he leaned back at bit. Zeke was a young man with light skin as well, appearing to be in his mid-twenties with a thick neck that had bulging veins. His hair was cut low and he possessed the shadow of beard.

"Does Diana ever, talk about me?" He asked tentatively. Tobias raised a brow at this.

"What do you mean?"

"Like, has she ever mentioned me whenever she's talking with you guys?" Zeke pressed.

"Uh…no I don't think your name has ever come up." Tobias said, causing Zeke to drop his head with a sad sigh. "What's the matter?"

"How clueless can you be Tobias?" Carmen asked as she rolled her eyes.

"What?" Tobias asked as he looked around at the group, all of which were giving him a funny look.

"Oh my gosh…" Carmen muttered. "Obviously he likes Diana."

"Well how was I supposed to know that?" Tobias asked rather defensively, getting a chuckle from Sheryl and Axel.

"Don't fuss over that. Guardians don't get much time for things like dating anyway, and Zeke knows that." Axel pointed out. Axel was an Exo that was just as tall as Tobias, with a white face plating that possessed a pair of black racing stripes that traveled down the center of his face.

"Besides, Diana barely knows he exists." Sheryl said, earning a glare from Zeke.

"Hey, we've spoken a few times! I'm just wearing her down!" Zeke proclaimed, causing Axel and Sheryl to burst into another fit of laughter.

"Yeah, good luck with that Casanova." Axel said to him with a grin.

Soon the group broke up for the night to sleep. Tobias accepted the night watch for tonight, giving him some time to use the peace and quiet to recall everything that they had taught him today.;

 _"Believe me, after a lot of practice with your weapons, they start to feel like an extension of your body. We call that the Gunslinger's Trance." Sheryl explained to him. "Your aim gets better, you reload faster, it's pretty awesome!"_

Sheryl and Carmen had shown him some of the more advance techniques that Gunslingers could use, but all of that was built off of strong foundation. In order to develop these skills he would have to practice _a lot_ more with all types of weapons. He wanted to be able to handle any situation he was in.

* * *

 _"Carmen, quit standing around! Go with your mother!" A tall and burly man boomed with his back pressed against the front door of their household, using all his strength to keep the door shut and their attacker outside._

 _"I'm not leaving you!" Carmen screamed in return as she looked up at her father._

 _"I said go! There's no time for this! If you leave with your mother, there's a chance you can make it to the transport." Her father shouted before wincing since there was a loud thud against the door. Her father found himself being moved as door was forcefully pushed open despite his effort. "GO!"_

 _"And what about you?!" Carmen asked him._

 _"Carmen, hurry!" Her mother hollered to her from the back entrance through the kitchen. She stood in the doorway, a small girl in her arms. Looking back to her father though, Carmen saw as he was tossed aside. The front door was thrown open, revealing a terrifying Fallen Captain which roared as it stepped into their house._

 _Carmen felt her heart stop as she stared up at the beast that had raised his shrapnel launcher at her. She had but a moment to take in everything. She could see through the open door that the rest of the settlement was under attack. She could hear the roar of the flames, and screams from other houses that were under attack._

 _The Fallen were slaughtering everyone._

 _Her father gave a shout as he jumped to his feet, throwing himself at the Captain to tackle it with all of his might. But this barely moved the Captain who now looked down at him pressed up against its torso. Stretching out the fingers on its free hand, its claws extended which it then buried into the body of Carmen's father, getting a gasp of pain from him. Hunching over now as the Captain ripped its hand out of his torso, it swatted him aside much to Carmen's dismay._

 _"Daddy!" Carmen cried out as the Captain raised its weapon, pulling the trigger with no hesitation. Her father was engulfed in flames._

 _The Captain then looked toward her, glaring at her with its sharp eyes. It then raised its weapon, and Carmen's world turned bright red._

* * *

Carmen awoke with a fright, gasping for air. Looking around, she realized she was resting with the main chamber of jumpship on one of the bunks. She was alright.

Taking a few moments to catch her breath, Carmen placed a hand against her chest where she could feel her heart racing.

"God I hate this dream." She muttered as she got off her bunk, deciding to head out for a walk. The ramp to her ship dropped down for her to exit, immediately gaining the attention of Tobias who had been standing guard.

"Carmen?" Tobias said as she walked past him, ignoring him. "Hey, what's the matter?"

Jogging to catch up with her, Tobias placed a hand on her shoulder to spin her around so that she was facing her. She looked up at him, and he could see tears that were threatening to escape from her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Tobias asked, but she shook herself free from his grip and continued on her way, leaving him at their campsite.

"Just let her go for now." Her Ghost said as it formed in front of Tobias, blocking his sight of Carmen.

"Can you, tell me what's going on at least?" Tobias asked curiously as he leaned to right to take another look at the small Hunter as she left.

* * *

Carmen quietly walked along the rocky coastline of the Forgotten Shore, cursing mentally as she wrapped herself in her arms.

"Every stinkin' time I have a good day, I have that stupid dream." Carmen mumbled as she kicked a small stone in front of her into the water.

Sleeping was already difficult for her, and rotating night shifts may it even harder for her to maintain her sleep cycle. The last thing she needed was to waste any time that she could spend resting properly. And yet, here she was. Wide awake, because a nightmare scared her more than any enemy she had fought as a Guardian.

She had been having this dream for years, and even now it still left her terrified. But now she was angry as well. Angry at herself for being so helpless the day the Fallen had attacked her home. She couldn't do a thing to protect her family, or herself. She was so weak back then.

If only she had her powers as a Guardian back then…She could've saved hundreds of lives in that settlement. And perhaps, she wouldn't be so lonely.

"Damn it, why did I have to be so weak!" Carmen screamed at the skies, falling down to her knees. She was alone now…because she wasn't strong enough back then. Placing her bottom on the ground, she pulled her knees close to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

"I'm sure you already know this, but the sky won't talk back." Tobias stated, causing Carmen to whip her head around in search of him. Tobias stood behind her, clearly concerned about her.

"What do you want?" She asked him softly, turning away from him now.

"Well since you're out here having a discussion with the sky, I thought you might appreciate having someone to talk to." Tobias said as he dropped down beside her, taking a moment to admire the moon above them.

"And what's that going to do for me?" Carmen asked him as she sniffled.

"It'll help you relax a bit, and give you some perspective." Tobias replied.

"That's a load of crap. Being sensitive gets you nowhere." Carmen told him, causing him to raise his eyebrows.

"And who told you that?" He asked her.

"That's none of your business." Carmen said as she wiped away her tears, although they were quickly replaced. "Damn it, will you stop already!"

"What?" Tobias said.

"Not you, my freakin' eyes." She muttered, becoming flustered because her tears wouldn't stop.

"You Carmen, it's alright to cry. Everyone has to eventually." Tobias stated.

"Shut up. I'm not crying…it's just the stupid rain." She mumbled, getting a snort from Tobias. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. Leaning over a bit now, Tobias bumped his shoulder into hers, causing her to look at him out of the corner of her eyes. As soon as they made eye contact Carmen looked away from him. "Will you just go away, I want to be alone."

"I'm pretty comfortable here. Besides, you haven't told me if you're okay yet." He pointed out.

"I'm fine!" She snapped at him. "I'll be just fine, _on my own_!"

"Why do you want to be alone though? That doesn't sound like any fun if you ask me."

"Because…because I don't have anyone." She admitted as she dropped her hands from her face, accepting defeat. There was nothing she could do about her tears. "I've been alone since I became a Guardian."

"Wait, didn't you say that Lord Saladin was your mentor?" Tobias asked her.

"That's all he was, and that's all he wanted to be. I thought I could get close to him, but he wanted nothing to do with me outside of our training sessions." She explained, placing her chin on her knees. "No one ever cared about me. I did everything on my own since I became a Guardian."

"But are you on your own right now?"

"Yeah. All the people I cared about died before I became a Guardian. And anyone I knew as a Guardian is probably dead since I've gone to the future." She explained to him.

"So what does that make me, chopped liver?" Tobias asked with a grin, getting a funny look from Carmen.

"What about you?" She asked in return.

"Well I'm here with you, aren't I?"

"You're just a chaperone. But you don't really care about me." Carmen said scornfully. "No one does."

"Hey hey, look at me." Tobias said as he placed a hand on his chest. "I don't know much about myself really, and Diana, Niko and Briggs knew even less than I did. But they took me in, accepted me as part of the team and have had my back since."

Tobias then pointed at her.

"You're a member of Undaunted now too. And if there's one thing I've learned from them already, it's that we always look out for each other." Tobias declared. "We're there for each other, and if one of us falls, there's always someone there to pick them up. We're never alone."

Carmen remained silent as she stared at Tobias. She really wanted to just ignore everything that he just said, but as she looked into his eyes, she could see the sincerity in them. And then she began to recall what she had seen of Undaunted already. With the loss of their commander, they were really looking out for one another.

"What I'm saying Carmen is that you're a part of this team. So we'll be there for you, that's a promise okay?" Tobias went on as he extended an open her hand toward her. Carmen stared at his hand for a moment before she broke down, wailing loudly.

Tobias didn't say a word as he placed a hand on her back, trying to soothe her.

Guardians led a tough life, most of which was buried underneath the unyielding threat of the Darkness. They all had to support one another if they were going to succeed!

 **Tower**

 **Hall of Guardians**

Cayde yawned audibly as he stretched a bit, paying no mind to Ikora and Zavala as they watched him.

"It's good to have you back Cayde." Ikora said, getting a small nod from the Hunter Vanguard. He was last of the three to return from his encounter with the House of Wolves. He had gone to Earth's Moon to lead the effort against the Wolves there. The Fallen had dug down into the caverns beneath the surface of the Moon which had been built by the Hive. It took a considerable effort to clear out the Wolves that had encamped themselves there, but they were successful in removing the Wolves before they could establish themselves with in the Moon.

"So what did you call this meeting for?" Cayde asked. He had been looking for to getting some much needed rest, but as he got out of his jumpship he was greeted by a pair of Titans who informed him that his presence had been requested already.

"It concerns Tobias, the Guardian that Diana Amano returned with a few days ago." Zavala explained. Cayd looked up in thought, trying to recall who this was.

"This is, that weird Titan right?"

"Yes, although we've determined that he's not a Titan." Zavala replied, peaking Cayde's interest right now.

"What makes you say that?" Cayde asked.

"Before we answer that Cayde, I have a question for you." Ikora interjected. "How familiar are you with the City's archives?"

"Not very." He admitted openly.

"I think it'd be a good idea if you brushed up on our history when you get the chance." Ikora stated. "But the reason I was asking, is because some of the earliest entries in the archives date back to the end of the Collapse. Specifically before the Last City had been built."

"Okay, what about it?"

"The first people to arrive at the Traveler reported that there was a man that was protecting it." Zavala explained. "They say that he wielding all sorts of powers, from casting shields to a flaming gun. Abilities that match what the Guardians are capable of today."

"So what are you getting at?"

"Based on these reports, it's clear that- _that_ Guardian could use any subclass. Tobias is also capable of doing the same." Ikora revealed, leaving Cayde a bit dumbfounded.

"Hold on, when did that happen, and how come I didn't get a memo?" Cayde asked as he looked at the other two Mentors.

"We discovered this not too long ago. Neither of us had an opportunity to look into this before the hunt for the Wolves began. Obviously that took priority." Zavala explained to him.

"Okay, so let me get this straight. That new Guardian, can use any subclass." Cayde clarified, getting a nod from Zavala.

"But he's not exactly a new Guardian. The Speaker also informed me that Tobias has been fighting the Darkness for centuries already. His abilities match that of a Guardian people encountered before the Last City was established. I don't think this is a coincidence." Ikora went on. "Tobias is _that_ Guardian."

"Now I'm not going to doubt you or anything, but what does all this mean?" Cayde inquired as he looked toward the Warlock who had taken over this meeting.

"I'm not certain yet. I've been going through the records, and from it I've gathered right after our first encounter with the Hive on Earth, Tobias ventured up to the Moon and he disappeared there. This sparked the investigation of the Moon, which led to the Battle of Mar Imbrium. Tobias was never found after that, which is why I'm so unsettled about this." Ikora explained.

"About what?"

"Based on what the Speaker told me, Tobias is more significant than any other Guardian. He disappeared without a trace, and search for him was put to rest after the Battle of Mar Imbrium. Then all of sudden he returns with no memories." Ikora said as she looked at Cayde and then to Zavala. "I feel as though, there's something more to this."

"You might be reading into this one too much Ikora. He could've been like Eris. Got his ass handed to him by some Hive god, and spent a few decades roaming around the Moon until he found his way out." Cayde suggested, causing Ikora to roll her eyes.

Zavala remained silent however as he thought about the information. It may have only been a hunch, but Ikora was usually spot on with her speculating. And Zavala couldn't deny it either, it did seem like something was going on in the background. He couldn't explain it really. It was just a feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Someone…or something was out there, pulling the strings.

A/N

Unfortunately, this chapter was just dropping some hints of what's to come. The next chapter though is the official start to the next arc, and I'm really excited about it. I haven't dropped any hints as to where this is going, so I'll just go ahead and say that I'm moving into Taken King, although this is going to go way off from what we saw in game. I hope you guys enjoy it! :D

As always, thanks for the support, and happy trails fellow Guardians.


	13. Invitation to the Reef

**Chapter 13**

* * *

 **Cosmodrome**

 **Forgotten Shore**

"Well I guess this is goodbye." Tobias noted with a rather glum expression as he looked at each of the members of fireteam Salamander.

"Oh don't be like that man, we'll get back together at some point." Axel pointed out to him as he gave Tobias a slap on the shoulder.

"It's been a blast though." Carmen said with a grin as she shared a fist bump with her fellow Hunter Sheryl.

"You got that right." Axel added with a nod of agreement. They had been together for a little over a week now, completing bounties, training and getting to know one another. It had been a great time to relax now that there weren't any imminent threats, allowing them to have a bit of fun as they worked. Not to mention Tobias had learned so much from each of them. But this week came to an end with a transmission from Zavala requesting that Tobias and Carmen return to the Tower. Standing on the ramp of Carmen's old Arcadia class jumpship, the group of five Guardians shared some final words with one another.

"Hey Tobias." Zeke said as he motioned for Tobias to follow him as he separated himself from the group for them to speak privately.

"What's up?" Tobias asked as he caught up to him.

"I never got to mention this, but its a damn shame what happened to Briggs on Venus." Zeke said softly. "There was no one I respected more than him. In fact, you could say that he was always my goal. That's why I started my own fireteam. And when I think of Undaunted, you can't really picture them without Briggs."

Tobias gave a nod of agreement. Seeing both Diana and Niko so torn up after losing him...it was clear that Briggs was the heart and soul of this fireteam. Without him they were trying to reestablish their identity.

"He left some mighty big shoes to fill." Zeke noted before looking directly at Tobias with a small grin. "But I think you got what it takes."

"To do what?" Tobias asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"To lead Undaunted."

It took a moment for that statement to settle into Tobias' mind. That sounded so ridiculous!"

"That's what you may think, and that's exactly what I thought when I first started my fireteam. But if there's one thing I've learned, its that people gravitate toward a good leader." Zeke looked over at his teammates who were laughing alongside Carmen. "The two of them said they'd follow me no matter because they've seen my body of work. They trust me that much. It takes time to prove yourself, especially to your teammates. So don't let any opportunities slip by."

The members of fireteam Salamander has seen Tobias pursue Carmen to offer her some comfort. They didn't say a word about it, but they knew for a fact that Tobias was genuine and sincere. It was clear to them that even though he didn't see himself as a leader, he still took care of his teammates.

"Keep up the good work Tobias, and hopefully we'll get to meet up out in the field again." Zeke said to Tobias as he passed by him, giving him a pat on the shoulder.

Tobias straightened up a bit as he looked toward the group of Guardians as they spoke to Carmen. Was he capable of becoming a leader? Could he lead a group of powerful Guardians like those that made up fireteam Undaunted? Only time could tell. Shrugging his shoulders, Tobias joined the group as well, just as Carmen disappeared further into the ship to begin the process for a departure.

"I can't thank you guys enough. Next time we're all in the City, let's have some drinks." Tobias said to them as the ramp began to rise, taking him up into the main chamber of the ship.

"We'll hold you to it!" Axel shouted in return as they all waved. The ramp closed up completely, sealing the ship that was no ready for take off. Joining Carmen in the cockpit, Tobias looked out the windows to see the three of them giving them one final wave as the ship began to rise, beginning their return trip to the Tower.

 **Hanger**

"Carmen, Tobias, over here!" Niko called out as he waved his arms over his head. The duo that had just exited Carmen's ship quickly journeyed over to the Hunter that had been eagerly waiting for their arrival.

"Did you get a call from Commander Zavala too?" Tobias asked as they approached Niko.

"Yeah, this morning actually. He told me that you guys would be coming in, so I came to meet you here." Niko explained as he took the lead, weaving through the crowded space until they arrived at the exit of the Hunter.

"Do you know what he wants?" Carmen asked as she looked up at Niko who towered over her.

"Not even the slightest. But in other news, I heard you've been assigned to our fireteam." Niko said as he shot Carmen a grin. "It's nice to have you."

"Oh, right. Thank you." Carmen said slowly, a bit surprised. She had forgotten that she was part of their fireteam. She had never really had an opportunity to work with other Guardians, so this thought of a team was still very foreign to her.

"I haven't seen you guys in about a week, what have you been up to?" Niko inquired as he studied them. Obviously Tobias had been busy considering he was dressed like a Warlock now as opposed to what he wore when during their first few weeks together.

"We spent pretty much the entire time in the Cosmodrome." Tobias replied.

"Yup, knocking around some baddies." Carmen added with a nod of agreement.

"That's what I like to hear." Niko commented with a grin of approval.

"And I gave Tobias some tips about Gunslingers." Carmen said, causing Niko to raise his eyebrows.

"So he's not the one hit wonder anymore?" Niko asked excitedly, causing Carmen to burst into a fit of laughter at the nickname. She knew immediately what Niko was talking about.

"Oh not this again." Tobias muttered as the two Hunters laughed at his expense.

Tobias wasn't great at channeling Solar Light despite the aid that he had received from Carmen, so he was only able to fire one shot when wielding the famed Golden Gun. Niko, Sheryl and Carmen all tormented him for how unpolished his skills were as a Gunslinger.

"And how about yourself Niko, how have you been?" Tobias asked, changing the subject. The last time he had seen him was at the memorial where they had been paying their respects to Briggs-6. Niko though gave a chuckle in response as he looked back at Tobias.

"Actually I caught a cold that I just got over yesterday. I went through all of that trouble to make sure Diana didn't get sick, only to get sick myself." He explained with a laugh.

"And what about Diana, is she okay?" Tobias was kind of nervous to ask about her. He hadn't heard a word from her since he had taken her from the memorial.

"I haven't had a chance to speak to her yet, but I wouldn't be worried if I were you Tobias. She's strong." Niko stated as their eyes met for a moment. Niko flashed him a bright grin to dispel any doubts Tobias might have had.

Entering the Hall of Guardians, the trio soon arrived at the quarters where the Vanguard Mentors were usually stationed. But right now Zavala was the only Mentor stationed here, and he was completely alone. Diana was no where to be found.

"Ah, it's good to see you all made it." Zavala noted as he looked up at the group. "I trust that you all are well rested after our battle?"

"I know I am." Niko admitted shamelessly. He had spent a majority of this past week sleeping in his room. In fact, today was the first time that he had come outside.

"Excuse me Commander, but did you speak to Diana already?" Tobias asked asked as he looked around in search of the missing Warlock.

"Well I had a hunch that she wouldn't take the news I have too kindly, so I arranged to speak with her before you all arrived. She already went on her way." Zavala explained with a stoic expression as always.

"Is she, alright?"

"She seemed fine to me" Zavala said with a nod. Tobias exhaled softly in response though. He still wanted to see for himself though.

"So what's then news that would put her down in the dumps?" Niko asked curiously. He hadn't seen Diana become upset, ever actually. Not until the House of Wolves resurfaced at least.

"Right, let's get down to business. The news of your heroics at the Battle of Twilight Gap already got back to the Reef. To the Queen in fact. She has stated herself that she is indebted to you all for the defeat of Skolas, so she has requested your presence in the Reef." Zavala explained, surprising all of them.

"Are you serious?!" Carmen blurted out in shock. "The Awoken have never invited anyone into the Reef!"

"They opened the Reef to the Guardians for us to assist them with the incident involving the House of Wolves. But that wasn't exactly an invitation for us to come in." Zavala replied. "They've always kept themselves isolated."

"Yeah, like a bunch of hermits." Niko added, earning a laugh from Carmen.

"But they've made an exception. For defeating Skolas, the Queen has prepared a banquet to honor all of you in your efforts against the Wolves. Our departure is scheduled for later this afternoon for us to arrive in time for the banquet." Zavala went on.

"This is going to be awesome!" Carmen exclaimed excitedly.

"Hold on there squirt, who said you're comin' with us?" Niko asked her.

"I said so!" Carmen shot back at him. "There's no way I'm missing out on going into the Reef. I want to see what it's like there at least once."

"Can she come with us Zavala?" Niko asked as he looked up toward the Titan Vanguard.

"I never specified who makes up Undaunted. They're expecting four of you, as well as myself." Zavala explained, causing Niko to frown just a bit.

"So she's getting Briggs' spot." Niko noted with pursed lips.

Carmen became quiet at this. Obviously she never had an opportunity to meet the previously leader of Undaunted, but she could feel the guilt gripping her heart at the fact that she had claimed his spot to a banquet to honor his team. Eyeing Carmen for a moment, Niko felt the need to slap himself for saying too much.

"Don't think much of it squirt." Niko said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Briggs was no good at parties anyway. But I'm sure you know how to bring the house down."

"Oh, you have no idea." She replied as she flashed him a grin.

Tobias was silent as the two Hunters conversed now that he understood why Zavala spoke to Diana privately. Diana had been exiled from the Reef and yet she had just received an invitation to be honored by the Queen. If she returned to her home, would she be regarded as the hero she was, or would she still be viewed as an exile?

* * *

"Diana?" Tobias called out, knocking on the metal door of her room. He wasn't sure what her current state was, but he could only hope that she would answer him at the very least. But to his surprise, the door slid open, revealing the Warlock whom he hadn't seen at all in roughly a week.

A moment of silence passed between them as Tobias stared at her, searching for anything that was out of the ordinary. But she seemed just fine. Just like the last time he had seen her.

"Hello?" Diana said to him, snapping him out of his thoughts. "What's up Tobias?"

"Are you...okay?" He asked her tentatively.

"Of course I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?" She asked him in return. Tobias narrowed his eyes in response. He didn't know enough about Diana to figure out if she was putting up a front for him or not.

"Nothing is bothering you?" Tobias pressed, but she shook her head at him.

"Tobias, I'm fine. Trust me."

"So you're cool with going back to the Reef?"

"You better believe I am." She stated almost indignantly.

"But what about being banished an all of that jazz?"

"All that jazz?" She repeated with a laugh. She had never heard someone say something like that before. "I'm not going in with any expectations. The only thing I want to do there is let the Queen know that even though she threw me out, I didn't turn my back on them when they needed help."

Tobias stared into her eyes now after this last statement. Her gaze was unwavering and firm. Niko's words echoed in his mind. _'She's strong.'_

"I just don't want to see you get hurt again." Tobias revealed, although some part of him said that-that was unlikely.

"I can take care of myself Tobias." She said cheekily, deciding that it was time they talk about something else. "Besides, I heard from Ikora that you went out on your first patrol in the Cosmodrome, did everything work out?"

"I'm not dead, so I guess it went pretty well." Tobias replied, getting a giggle from her. "We did team up with fireteam Salamander so Carmen and I trained with them for a bit. I can tell that I still have to do a lot of practice if I'm going to be as strong as the rest of you."

Diana bit down on her lower lip, remembering that Tobias' training had actually been entrusted to Undaunted, yet he had probably made more progress with other fireteams than the one he had been assigned to. He had been rather neglected throughout their encounter with the Wolves, and even when Tobias defeated their foe, his training was still pushed aside for them mourn over the loss of Briggs.

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry Tobias." Diana said as she covered her mouth with one hand.

"For what?" Tobias asked curiously, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Ikora and the Speaker trusted us to train you, and we've done next to nothing as your mentors. I feel bad knowing that right now we've done nothing but hold you back." Diana explained, recalling the discussion she and Ikora had with the Speaker. Tobias was too valuable to be charging into the danger untrained.

"Well I mean, that couldn't be helped really. We had to fight the Fallen, and then there was the whole traveling through time thing. It's not like we really had a chance to just stop everything and train." Tobias said, causing Diana to shake her head at him.

"I don't think you get it Tobias. You were amazing fighting Skolas, like nothing I've ever seen before. And when you think about it, you were only scratching the surface of what you're truly capable of. Don't you want to know just how strong you really are?" Diana asked him, causing Tobias to look up in thought. He really didn't have an answer for this question.

How strong could he become...? He had no idea. When he was fighting Skolas, it felt as though he had an endless well to draw power from. And with this strength coursing through him, he fought that Fallen Kell to a standstill. Yet when he went down to the Cosmodrome, he was missing easy targets with just about any weapon. There was no consistency to it. He still had to hone his skills.

"I do want to know. And I have time now, don't I?" He asked her with a very small smile.

"That you do. But you never know what could happen in the future. We've wasted enough time as it is, so as soon as we get back from the Reef, your training is priority number one for Undaunted."

 **Asteroid Belt**

 **Vestian Outpost**

"Whoa." That was all Tobias and Carmen could manage to say as they exited, stepping out onto the large hanger of the Awoken outpost. Looking back at the astonishing scenery that they had journey through to reach this point, Tobias silently wondered how the Awoken could call this home. It felt like they were living in a graveyard.

Thousands of wrecked ships, varying in size, floated aimlessly in pieces, creating a barrier around the Awoken sanctuary. It was eerie to observe, even with the starry heavens surrounding them.

The Vestian Outpost was one of the many locations guarded the Reef, constantly checking to ensure that there were no invaders. And if there ever was a threat, they would be the first to notice. This was just a pit stop on Undaunted's journey though. This outpost was as far as they were allowed to venture into the Reef on their own. From this point forward, they would be escorted by the Royal Guard.

"Whoa!" Now it was Niko's turn as he elbowed Tobias' side, getting his attention.

"What?" Tobias asked as Niko began to nod toward the approaching guards. Two of them were Awoken Paladins, dressed in skin tight jumpsuits with a garb around their waste. Their faces were concealed within their helmets, but the their guard didn't wear a helmet. And it was clear why she immediately caught Niko's attention. She had dazzling scarlet hair, although her most notable feature was the eye patch she wore over her left eye.

"Check her out." Niko whispered to him as he admired her figure, causing Tobias to roll his eyes.

"We've been expecting you Guardians." She said as she approached them, her Paladins coming to a stop a few feet behind her. "We haven't met in person yet, but I've worked with you all throughout the encounter with the Wolves."

"Ah, you must be Petra." Zavala said as he stepped toward her.

"Indeed." Petra replied as she eyed Zavala. She never would've thought that one of the Awoken would be leading the Vanguard. And yet the Commander of the Guardians stood before her as one of her own people. "We are grateful for you efforts Guardians, the Awoken are indebted to you."

"So when is this banquet with the Queen?" Niko asked as Petra motioned for them to follow her. On the opposite side of the hanger was Petra's person ship, the Hildian Seeker, which had been waiting for them.

"It's tomorrow." Petra replied.

"Wait, so then why did we come here today then?" Carmen inquired.

"You're all going to be in the presence of the Queen, as well as the highest nobility of the Awoken. There are preparations that must be done for each of you before you can be in the presence of our Queen." Petra explains as she led them into her ship. Tobias, Carmen and Niko all looked at each with one question in mind.

"What kind of preparations?"

 **4 Vesta**

 **Vestian Web**

 **Palace**

"Oh, my, God!" Carmen exclaimed as she laid face down on a massage bed while a pair of Awoken attendants worked tirelessly on her. They were massaging her back, loosening all of the tense muscles she had as well as coating her skin in various oils that only seemed to numb her further. She had never been so pampered before in her life. This was absolutely incredible!

In the adjacent room, Niko, Zavala and Tobias were together going through the same _rigorous_ treatment as well.

"This is the life man!" Niko hollered as he sunk further into his seat, enjoying a foot massage he was receiving as a warm up for what was to come. "Right Zavala?"

"I suppose." Zavala noted as he glanced at the attendant that was seated beside him, silently tending to his fingernails, polishing them and moisturizing his hands.

"Chin up Zavala, it's not often you get to have a lady that wants to be around you-"

"Watch it Niko." Zavala interjected as he shot him a glare. The attendant beside him stifled a laugh at Niko's comment.

"Tobias, are you okay over there?" Niko called out as he glanced across the room. There was large heated bath on the other side of the room which Tobias was laying face down in, soaking in the steamy water. There wasn't an ounce of tension within. He couldn't believe how relaxed he felt at the moment, and he could only wish that he could remain like this forever. Was this how all the Awoken lived?

* * *

Diana was silent as she sat on the large queen size bed within the private chamber she had received. Behind her was a brilliant view of the starry surroundings, the scenery that she had been raised alongside of. She was back home, and yet she wasn't...

She had never yearned to return to the Reef, but the thought had crossed her mind several times. And now she was back yet...why did she fell so foreign?

There was a knock on entrance of her chamber, causing Diana to sigh as she waved a hand over the back of her neck. Her helmet reactivated, quickly concealing her head as Diana rose up from her bed. Why was she hiding her identity? She knew why she had agreed to return to the Reef, and yet a part of her was telling her to run.

"Enter." Diana said softly, causing the doors to part, revealing none other than Petra Venj. "Can I help you?"

"You don't have to try hiding from me, I know its you Diana." Petra stated after she had stepped in, allowing the doors the shut behind her.

"How...how did you know?" Diana asked as she looked up at the woman who chuckled in response.

"Diana, I couldn't forget my own cousin." Petra replied as she approached the bed and took a seat beside Diana. Sighing inwardly, Diana shut off her helmet, revealing he face to her Petra. "You haven't changed a bit."

"So, how long did you know?"

"I've been watching you for a long time Diana.

"How-How did you know?" Diana asked as she looked up at the woman who chuckled in response.

"Diana, I wouldn't forget my own cousin." Petra replied as she took a seat beside Diana on the bed as she shut off her helmet once again.

"How long did you know?"

"I've been watching you for a long time Diana. I remember when your former commander came to the Reef in search of the Black Garden. I wanted to know what group of fools would want to go in there. Imagine my surprise when I find out one of those fools is my cousin." Petra said as she gave Diana a small smile. "I've seen all of your heroics since then Diana."

"Does that mean the Queen knows?" Diana asked as she glanced at Petra who gave her a nod. "Did she share her thoughts?"

"She didn't say anything about you. But I suggested that you be reinstated into the Royal Guard." Petra continued, causing Diana's head to snap up with a look of shock.

"Why would you do that?" Diana exclaimed.

"Your hunch about the Wolves was correct all along. They conceded to the Queen at the end of the Reef Wars as a plot to assassinate her. You were right. She has acknowledged that."

"Wait, what?"

"As in, she said she'll take my proposal into consideration." Petra stated, leaving Diana dumbfounded. There was actually a chance of her returning to her former life? Was this a dream?

* * *

The night of the banquet arrived, and Tobias looked at him in the mirror with a smirk, tugging at the collar of his shirt to loosen it a bit. He had dressed as a Guardian, he had wore casual clothing, but he had never worn a tuxedo before. And he looked good!

He was practically glowing from all of the baths and skin treatment he had received. Every inch of his body had been cleaned until it was deemed flawless for the Queen. He was presentable.

"Come in!" Tobias called out after hearing a knock on the door. The doors opened up, revealing Niko who Tobias' hadn't seen yet today. Tobias had to a do a double take first after spotting the Hunter. Then he stopped to stare at him, allowing his jaw to drop.

The thick beard and long locks were gone. There was just the shadow of Niko's beard, showing his well defined cheekbones which had been hidden for so long. And most of his hair had been cut off as well. The sides and back were faded out while the top of Niko's hair was left a bit longer, although it was gelled back save for a few strands that fell down in front of his forehead. And just like TObias, he was dressed for the occasion, although he decided to go without the jacket, preferring just the vest.

"Damn Tobias." Niko said with a grin as he sized him up.

"Dude, you look awesome." Tobias replied as they gave each other a high five.

"Yeah I know. Like three of the attendants asked me out to dinner tomorrow." Niko said as he stepped over to the mirror to admire his new appearance. "If I had known fixing myself up would get me in with the ladies, I would've done this a long time ago!"

* * *

The banquet hall was within a sealed chamber, with a small connecting chamber where Zavala and Diana waited on the rest of their teammates. There was a pair of guards waiting by the entrance to the banquet hall, ready to give them access once the five of them were together.

"Wow Commander, you clean up nice." Diana said to Zavala. She had only ever seen him clad in his armor as a Titan. Seeing him dressed in an expensive suit was a quite a different light to see him.

"Thank you Diana." He replied, clearing his throat a bit. Zavala was uncomfortable, and he was certain that it was obvious. It had been years since he had gone out without any kind of armor on him, and it was feeling that he knew he wouldn't be able to get used during this banquet.

"How do ladies walk in these things?!" Carmen exclaimed as she stumbled into the smaller chamber, clearly struggling to keep her balance in the heels she wore. The only thing she had ever wore on her feet were her boots. She never had to think about keeping her balance in the slightest. But moving in heels was one of the greatest challenges she had ever faced.

"Wow, you look so pretty Carmen." Diana said as she and Zavala quickly approached the young Hunter, allowing her to use their shoulders for support. Carmen wore a sparkling white cocktail dress, and her curly hair had been tied back into a high pony tail with the exception of a few locks.

"Diana, how the heck are you walking just fine?" Carmen asked her as she looked down at the high heels Diana wore, although she moved just fine in them.

"Number one Carmen, take smaller steps." Diana stated just as Carmen stumbled once again from taking a long step. "And try leaning backwards a bit to keep your balance."

The three of them stopped for Carmen to straighten up a bit, taking Diana's advice. She wiggled a little bit before releasing her hold on them, taking a few steps on her own. Zavala and Diana stuck with her for her first steps, watching intently as Carmen slowly moved around. But with just these quick tips she found herself walking comfortably now.

"Oh neat-o, thanks Diana!" Carmen said as she spun around to give Diana a thumbs out, but she immediately ended up on the floor because of this.

"Yeah, and try not to do that either." Diana said as she and Zavala quickly approached Carmen to help her back to her feet. As they got Carmen back on her own two feet, the remaining two members of Undaunted finally arrived in the chamber, surprising the trio who had been waiting for them.

"Niko!?" Carmen practically screamed as she got a good luck at the man. It had only been week since she had first met him, but she had already gotten accustomed to his rather daring appearance. But now he was all cleaned up, and he looked so good!

"In the flesh." Niko replied with a smirk as he dusted his shoulders a bit, pleased with the attention he was receiving already.

"Not bad." Zavala commented as he and Carmen approached him. Tobias and Diana though were silent as they stared at one another, clearly impressed with their attire.

Diana wore a formal dark green strapless evening gown with a part that traveled down the side of the dress starting at her thigh. The torso was decorated while a thin scarf was draped over her shoulders. Her posture was perfect as she stood up straight, glowing under the lights of the chandelier from above. Tobias didn't even know what to say as she approached him, her eyebrows raised at how well Tobias looked in a tuxedo. Like a true gentleman.

"I'm impressed you two. Especially you Niko." Diana stated as she admired her teammates.

"Not too bad yourself." Niko replied as he stepped past her, looking toward the entrance to the banquet hall. "So are you all ready?"

"I think so." Carmen replied as she straightened up once again, standing steady on her heels now.

"And how about our big hero?" Niko asked as he glanced back at Tobias with a grin. Everyone looked toward Tobias who was finally snapped out of his daze, giving them a smirk that suited the occasion.

"Let's do it." He stated as they approached the guards who opened up the doorway to the hall that they had anxiously been waiting to see. They all could only look around in awe at the luminous lights that hung from the ceiling above, and the walls and tables were decorated with various plants that they had never seen on Earth. They could see the buffet table which had numerous different meals stacked high for everyone to take as they please. And there was even a dance floor where a number of those in attendance were already dancing to the light music that was playing.

But before they could venture any further into the hall, a pair of Paladins greeted them. Their presence had been requested by the Queen.

The Paladins motioned to the staircase that rested right beside the entrance that led up to the balcony that watched over the entire hall. They explained that the Queen was waiting for them there. Slowly the group of five traveled up the stairway and out onto the balcony where the person responsible for this event was waiting. Seated on a small throne which had been set up for her was the Awoken Queen, Mara Sov.

Niko's eyes practically popped out his head once he got to see the Queen. She wore a tight black gown that traveled all the way down to her ankles with silver sparkles creating a floral pattern around the bust of the dress. She sat with one leg crossed over the other, observing the room down below with her chin placed delicately on one hand.

"Your Majesty." Diana stated as she curtseyed while Zavala bowed respectfully. Carmen and Tobias quickly followed the example of these two. All that was left was Niko, but he just couldn't stop staring at the Queen who paid him no mind. Diana cleared her throat in an attempt to get his attention, but Niko remained distracted. Rolling her eyes, Diana jabbed her elbow into his side which finally broke him out of the trance he was in, realizing that he had yet to greet the Queen properly.

"Your Grace." He stated as he bowed to her. Now the whole group could rise as the Queen glanced at them. But her gaze became locked onto Diana.

"It returns." She said, her piercing eyes examining Diana. Diana returned her gaze fearlessly for a few moments before the Queen began to study those that stood with Diana. "We are indebted to you all. Enjoy this banquet that has been prepared for you. But Diana, I would like to speak with you further."

Zavala bowed once again, causing the rest of the team to bow as well before they turned to leave. All of them except for Diana.

"That's it?" Carmen whispered as she left with the guys. "Where's my parade?"

"You didn't even do anything." Tobias whispered in return.

"Dude, the Queen is stinkin' hot!" Niko said to Zavala who only shook his head in response as they left the balcony.

Diana and Mara shared a few moments of silence together, observing one another. Diana had a feeling that she knew what the Queen had kept her here to talk about.

"You were right." Mara said softly, breaking the silence. "The Wolves were indeed a treacherous lot."

Diana didn't say a word though, unsure of if the Queen was finished. It was a big deal for the Awoken Queen to admit that she had been wrong, and Diana didn't want to do anything to squash this effort the woman was putting forth.

"You're efforts against the Wolves and Skolas have been acknowledged by me. You banishment from the Reef has been lifted, and it has been arranged for you to return to your position among the Royal Guard."

Petra had spoiled this news for her yesterday, but Diana was still at a loss for words.

"Why do you remain silent? Is this not what you wanted?" The Queen asked curiously as she straightened up in her seat.

"I'm not sure my Queen. I need time to consider some things before I can give you an answer."

"I see." She replied. "Consider everything then, I'll be waiting."

The banquet advanced wonderfully from there for the members of Undaunted. They were like celebrities here for defeating Skolas and the Wolves. Everyone wanted to hear the details of the battle, how they pursued Skolas back in time, fought at the Battle of Twilight Gap and eventually took down the Kell of the Wolves. Those listening were in awe at the fact that these Guardians fought so bravely against the Wolves.

Zavala seemed to be having the most fun out of all the Guardians present. The Awoken were absolutely enthralled with him. They wanted to know everything about him, amazed with his accomplishments outside of the Reef.

"They're eating right out of his hand." Niko said after nudging Tobias and motioning to Zavala who had about thirty people crowded around him, listening to one of his tales.

"No kidding." Tobias said, raising his eyebrows.

Soon enough the festivities started and the dance floor was packed out by those in attendance.

"Whoa, look at them go." Carmen exclaimed as she, Niko and Tobias watched the Awoken people from their seats. All of them were moving in unison to the song that was playing. They were repeating the same steps, but everyone seemed to be having a blast.

"Haven't you guys ever done this before? It's called line dancing." Diana asked as she approached the three of them.

"Never." Niko replied.

"Me neither." Carmen added.

"I think I've seen this before." Tobias said with some uncertainty. Or rather, he _felt_ like he knew it.

"It's easy. I'll show you guys the steps, then you just have to keep up with everyone else." Diana said as the song changed, and she immediately perked up at this. "Oh, this is a really good one! Come on, quick!"

Diana led the three of them out onto the dance floor and showed them steps as the song got going. The steps were simple, or simple enough for Tobias to have a grasp as he fit right into the crowd. But Carmen and Niko found themselves bumping into the everyone until about halfway through. Even with their mistakes though, they could see why everyone was having such a good time moving together.

Once the song came to an end, Carmen shuffled off the dance floor, her feet aching from the heels. She was honestly amazed that she hadn't fallen over once while she was dancing. Now she couldn't wait to get off her feet. But in her rush to get to her seat, Carmen overstepped and found herself resting on floor with a groan.

"Yikes, are you alright?" Tobias asked her as kneeled down beside her, offering her a hand to help her get back on her feet.

"Eh, I've been better." She replied, kicking off her heels. She rather walk around without them at this point then suffer another minute. "Thanks."

Taking a hold of Tobias' hand, the two of them were about to rise up when someone else suddenly grabbed a hold of Tobias' forearm, causing both of their heads to snap to the side to see this mystery person. It was man, dressed in a long black and yellow robe with a large hood that concealed his eyes from them. But he was smiling almost eerily at Tobias.

"You have returned." He exclaimed, out of breath.

From her balcony, the Queen caught sight of something that earned her interest. Vance was awake once again.

"Brother, bring them to me." She said softly.

* * *

The Guardians had been gathered together and taken into the Queen's private chambers where she and her brother were waiting for them. The Queen was rather unnerved even though she didn't show it on her expression, but she softly drummed her fingers on the armrest of her seat.

She couldn't believe that she hadn't realized that Tobias had returned. She was very, very young when she first met Tobias. But he was different now. He didn't give off the same presence that he did the last time he was in the Reef. Something must have happened to him.

"What did you call us here for?" Niko asked, slightly annoyed that his fun had been cut short.

"You don't seem to have a grasp on the situation, do you Guardian?" Uldren, the Queen's brother asked him with sneer.

"What situation? Skolas is dead, the Wolves are gone. What are you talking about?" Niko asked in return.

"This could be our darkest hour." Vance said softly.

"Who is he?" Zavala asked as he recognized the insignia on the shoulder of Vance's robe. The symbol of the sun.

"I am Vance, a Disciple of Osiris." He stated as he turned to Zavala. "I had been asleep for a while, but Tobias awakened me."

"What does that even mean?" Tobias asked. This guy was getting creepier by the second.

"Vance was in a coma prior to your arrival. For some twenty years he slept in one of our chambers, not that-that would matter to any of you." Uldren explained. "His awakening means something great is on the horizon.

"But when I felt the Radiant Light within you, I had to wake up." Vance explained, leaving the Guardians aside from Diana confused.

"What do you know about the Radiant Light?" Diana asked him. Vance knew something about Tobias, something they needed to know.

"Tobias is the Vessel of the Traveler. He holds the last of its strength and its will, otherwise known as the Radiant Light." Vance continued.

'Vessel…of the Traveler?' Niko repeated in his mind.

'What the heck does that mean?' Carmen asked herself.

'I knew he was different, but this goes beyond what I expected.' Zavala noted.

"Osiris took a special interest in Tobias when they first met. He felt as though Tobias was the key to defeating the Darkness because he could wield the Light in ways other Guardians are not able too." Vance went on.

"So wait, I worked with this Osiris guy?" Tobias asked, receiving a nod from Vance.

 _"_ _The group you worked for, they didn't work with the Vanguard. They had their own agenda, and you were the centerpiece to their operation."_ The Speaker had shared this with him when they had first met. And it appeared as though Tobias had finally found a clue to his past.

"What else do you know about me?" Tobias asked curiously.

"I was there for what we thought was your final mission. When the Hive first arrived on the Earth, Osiris spent a great deal of time tracking their activity. Soon enough he discovered that the Hive were preparing an invasion force within the Moon, led by Oryx, one of their gods." Vance explained as he turned to the Queen and Uldren, the only two people in the room that recognized the name. "This invasion force along with Oryx was dispatched by Tobias, but Tobias disappeared after this battle. Osiris foretold that when Tobias returned, that would be the sign that Oryx is returning as well."

"That _beast_ is returning?" The Queen asked as she leaned forward in her seat now.

"Yes my Queen. I don't know how much time we have left, but I have a way of checking." Vance declared.

"Hold on, hold on, who's Oryx and what the hell is going on?" Niko asked, putting halting any action that was about to take place. Uldren snorted a bit at the ignorance of the Guardians.

"Oryx came to _your_ home, ravaged _your_ lands, slew _your_ people. He was the direct cause of the Collapse and you don't even know him?" Uldren asked incredulously him, his arms raised halfway.

"There's nothing in our archives about Oryx." Zavala stated. He had never seen or heard of the name.

"I suppose everything was lost after the Collapse." Uldren reasoned as he shook his head.

"Oryx is the father of Crota. He commands the Hive from the _top_ of their hierarchy." Vance explained, leaving them all a bit shocked. They had slain Crota, the Hive God who had killed thousands of Guardians in the Battle of Mare Imbrium. It had taken numerous attempts and sacrifices, but Crota was no more. And yet Crota was only in the shadow of an even greater foe.

The eyes of the Guardians became wide as this information settled in their minds. Oryx was coming.

"It's clear none of you understand the magnitude of Oryx's return." Uldren stated as he stepped toward them. "I'm assuming that any information regarding Oryx on the Earth was lost in the Collapse. But the people who managed to escape Earth saw him slaughter everything in his path. If he returns, that spells certain doom for everything in the system."

"What are we going to do?" Carmen asked softly as she struggled to picture what Oryx must have been like.

"As much as I hate to admit it, working together may be our only option." Uldren stated, shocking everyone present.

"Are you suggesting, an alliance brother?" The Queen asked him, her head tilted as she observed him.

"None of us know what Oryx is truly capable of. If the Guardians of Earth fall, Oryx will come to the Reef next." Uldren explained before motioning to the Guardians that stood before them. "Our only chance of defeating Oryx, lies with them."

The Queen sat in silence for a moment, studying the Guardians. Her eyes eventually settled on Tobias. If this was indeed the man that worked alongside Osiris, then he was their only hope.

"An alliance is in order, between the Awoken and the Guardians." The Queen, Mara Sov, stated.

"Are you serious?" Carmen said in a whisper.

"I'll get into contact with the Vanguard." Zavala added almost immediately. There wasn't a moment to be wasted. Oryx was coming, and if this foe was as great as Prince Uldren claimed he was, the Guardians would need all the time they could get.

"Vance, you spoke of a way to check Oryx's location." Uldren said as everyone focused on Vance.

"Yes. Years ago Osiris discovered that the Hive had built shrines within the Moon that were dedicated to Oryx. Osiris once speculated that they used these shrines to contact Oryx." Vance explained pointedly. "If we can get to those shrines, we can tap into them and take a, peek, at Oryx."

"I'll entrust you to the Guardians then."

* * *

A/N

And here we go, the start of the Taken King. This isn't going to be a retelling of the canon, not by a long shot. From the get go this is going to be different from how TTK unfolded in the game. And I really can't wait to get into it.

In other news, the newest Destiny expansion has been revealed and it looks incredible! I was just about to take a break from Destiny but seeing that trailer has me so hyped that I'm still playing Destiny full time. If you by some weird chance haven't seen the trailer, definitely check it out. Lord Saladin looks like a stinkin' boss!

Thanks for all your support as always everyone :)


	14. Oryx's Arrival : Shrines of Oryx

**Chapter 14**

* * *

 **Earth's Moon**

 **Ocean of Storms**

"Nearby, there's a clearing you can land on." Vance said as he was seated in the cabin on the ship, looking upward. Diana was piloting the ship, spotting the area he was talking about, near and old accelerator. Everyone else in the cabin with Vance looked at each other nervously.

"Isn't he blind?" Carmen whispered to Tobias.

"Indeed, but I'm not deaf." Vance answered her, sending a chill down her spine.

"But how'd you know where to land then?" Carmen asked him directly now.

"Losing my sight made me work on my sensory abilities. You could say my vision now is better than its ever been." Vance replied as he looked toward Carmen, giving her a soft smile. The ship shuddered slightly as it touched down on the surface of the Moon, causing the Guardians within the ship to rise from their seats now that they had arrived at their destination.

Zavala had left them back in the Reef, heading back to the City in order to meet with the Consensus. Undaunted would be responsible for escorting Vance to the shrines within the Moon.

"So what are we looking for?" Niko asked.

"The Hive have created a network of tunnels and catacombs throughout the Moon. Osiris had mapped out these tunnels before he left, so I can guide us to the shrines we're looking for. The closest entrance to the tunnels is nearby." Vance explained as their helmets closed up around their heads to provide them with oxygen since the Moon lacked an atmosphere.

"So this Oryx, guy-thing, whatever. What's he like?" Carmen asked nervously as they stood around the hatch, watching as it descended to the ground, creating a ramp for them.

"He's the most fearsome being I've ever known. Everything the Guardians have fought or beaten, doesn't even begin to compare to him. Crota by comparison, only possesses a fraction of the strength Oryx has." Vance explained as they traveled down to the surface of the Moon, looking around at the barren landscape. "That's why we need to know how much time you all have to prepare."

"But didn't you say I tried to fight him by myself?" Tobias asked. Vance gave him a nod. "Wow, was I stupid or something?"

"Not at all Tobias. In fact, that was probably you're greatest strength." Vance pointed out as they called out their Sparrows, Vance climbing onto the back of Tobias'.

"Being stupid was my greatest strength?" Tobias asked with a frown.

"No not that. You're willingness to fight no matter the circumstances. It was why you were heralded as a hero." Vance explained as he pointed a small observatory across the clearing from where they had landed.

Tobias perked up at bit at this. He knew there had to be a reason why he felt like he was drawn to Undaunted. They were just like him!

"You never turned from a fight, or passed at the opportunity to help someone." Vance went on as they raced up a hill, entering the observatory that had been thoroughly trashed by the Fallen. On the opposite side of this small building was a hole in the structure which took them out into a ravine. And at the bottom they could see the entrance to the tunnels, guarded by a pair of Hive Knights.

Niko pulled out his sniper and made quick work of the Knights down below, allowing the group to travel down the entrance with no resistance. Everyone was silent as they approached the cave, not even Niko had something to say.

"So uh, Vance. How well did you know me?" Tobias asked curiously as he walked alongside the blind Warlock.

"Ah, that's right, you don't remember. We were followers of Osiris, or rather, _I_ was. You were his partner when I first became his Disciple. I didn't really have an opportunity to get to know you personally. I saw you in passing many times, heading out to take care of tasks for Osiris. Until finally you received your mission to kill Oryx who was present in the Moon. We thought you fell in that battle, but it's clear now that you escaped somehow, so we're grateful for that." Vance explained. "You were gone for a very long time. Osiris waited patiently for your return, but eventually he was banished from the Last City, _after_ the Battle of Twilight Gap I believe. And of course, that is when you came back."

"Did I say what happened in the Moon?"

"No, you're only concern was a transmission that Osiris had left us. It was lead to the same shrines we're heading to right now. What happened down here we still don't know, but you vanished a second time after coming down to these shrines." Vance explained. "So you really don't remember anything that took place beneath the surface of the Moon?"

"Not at all." Tobias said as they traveled down a pathway, heading deeper into the Moon. "All I know is that I was fighting. It's the only definite answer I can give, well anyone."

"Well for all we know, there might be something down here that might jog you're memory. And if not, I'll do everything in more power after this mission to help you regain your memory." Vance declared as the cave they had been moving through opened up into a large area that had clearly been built up and decorated by the Hive. It was empty and uninhabited though.

"It's like a necropolis down here." Carmen's Ghost noted softly.

"For such an aggressive race, the Hive are capable of much more than just destruction." Vance noted as they all observed the structures that protruded from the floor and walls.

"Don't you think it's kind of weird that none of the Hive are present here?" Diana's Ghost asked them as they continued through the area.

"It's very likely that the Hive are gathering around the Seeders within the Moon to protect their spawn. If Oryx really is coming, then they must be preparing their forces to invade Earth." Vance explained as they, hearing some screeches echo through the tunnels.

"It's so creepy down here." Carmen said with a shiver. "How long are we going to be down here?"

"We'll work quickly little Hunter." Vance said, getting a huff from Carmen as they arrived at the room Vance had been searching for. But there were dozens, if not a hundred of these bony gray that were hunched over the floor, quietly checking their surroundings.

"Thrall." Diana said softly as she eyed the creatures.

"Are we going to fight those things?" Tobias asked as he glanced at his teammates. In response, there was a single gunshot followed by one of the Thrall exploding into pieces. Tobias glanced over his shoulder to see Niko with his hand cannon raised.

"We're not going to fight them. We're going to _destroy_ them!" Niko proclaimed as all of the Thrall reacted at once. They rose up from the floor, looking for the source of the sudden disturbance. A few of them gave a screech before they all came charging at the Guardians who drew their weapons, beginning to shoot them down.

Tobias was, unimpressed by the Thrall. Even though they were an opponent he had never faced and knew nothing about, he slaughtered them just like his teammates despite their overwhelming numbers. The Thrall could see their allies getting shot down by the Guardians, but they continued to charge to their own doom. Tobias could only think of them as expendable soldiers that could only move in concentrated numbers if they were going to be effective.

"Well that was kind of lame." Tobias noted as they lowered their weapons, having rid the room of all of the Thrall.

"Don't get cocky now. Those things are the weakest things the Hive have the offer. They're like the guys that shine your boots for you on the street." Carmen said to him, getting a laugh from Niko.

"Over there, that's the entrance to the shrines." Vance called out as he motioned to the far side of the room where they could see that surroundings changed. Unlike the room that was cave like, the tunnel they were approaching had various pipes traveling through it that had been built by the Hive. What they were for, none of them knew.

Entering the tunnel, they continued in silence, their weapons ready for all of the possibilities. But things remained quiet as they pressed forward.

"Hey Vance, is there anything else you can tell me about myself?" Tobias asked as he walked alongside Vance again.

"Is there anything in particular that you'd like to know?" Vance asked him.

"Uh, like who was Osiris first off?"

The other members of Undaunted perked up at this question since most of them knew next to nothing about the man. Vance looked up in thought, recalling what he could about him.

"Osiris, was a powerful man. You might not know it, but he was the Vanguard Commander at one point. He was very skilled on the battlefield, and considered to be one of the strongest Guardians out there." Vance explained.

"But wasn't he exiled? Did he do all that before he was thrown out of the City?" Carmen asked as they all listened on now.

"Yes, he was quite famous before he was exiled." Vance answered.

"What did he do to get exiled though?" Niko inquired, causing Diana to clear her throat as she took the lead.

"I can answer that. Osiris was a Warlock, and like any Warlock, he wanted to understand our enemies. He wanted to know why they were here, what they wanted to accomplish, so on and so forth. But what started as just a bit of curiosity became a sincere interest in the Darkness. He began to study the Hive and the Vex, to the point where the Speaker declared that he was misusing his position of Vanguard Commander to further his studies and sway other Guardians to begin looking into the Darkness." Diana explained, leaving her teammates surprised with this information. "He was exiled as a result."

"That's crazy man." Carmen said softly.

"I had no idea he was nut job." Niko added, receiving a soft elbow to his side from Diana.

"He was not a nut job. He had some honest questions, questions that the Vanguard didn't want answers to. It's not his fault they threw him out because of it." Diana said defensively, surprising Vance.

"Well I didn't think there were any more of Osiris' supporters still working for the Vanguard." Vance noted.

"Oh no, I'm not one of his supporters. But as a fellow Warlock I can understand why Osiris took those actions." Diana replied before Vance, who was leading the group, came to a stop.

"That's enough talking for now. We've got company up ahead. _A lot_ of company." Vance said as he took note of the activity that they had come close to now.

Arriving at the end of the tunnel they had been moving through, it opened up into an enormous room with a deep, lava filled gorge that surrounded an island at the center of the room.

"The shrines are there, in the middle." Vance pointed out as they all ventured out into the open, motioning toward the island that awaited them. But as they stepped out, they discovered just how many foes were waiting for them.

Hundreds of Thrall, Acolytes and Knights filled the area, blocking off their only route to get to the heart of the shrine.

"Let's slaughter em'!" Niko shouted as he drew his tanto, charging off in the Hive forces. Everyone but Tobias followed him in, engaging the Hive with their various abilities.

But Tobias remained at the entrance to the room, frozen as he stared at the scene before him. This felt…familiar.

Blinking several times as his helmet zoomed on one of the Acolytes; Tobias couldn't deny that this creature looked familiar.

But why?

 **Earth**

 **Last City**

 **Tower**

It wasn't often that the Hall of Guardians was closed off from all the Guardians, but such an occasion had taken place when Zavala returned to the Tower from the Reef. The Vanguard Commander had called for the highest authority in the Tower to gather in the Hall of Guardians for a meeting of the utmost importance.

The Vanguard Mentors had gathered, along with factions leaders such as such as Lakshmi-2, Arach Jalaal and Executor Hideo. And some of the strongest Guardians in the Tower had also joined them as well, including the likes of Shaxx and Lord Saladin. By the expression on Zavala's face, all of them could only assume the worst. Well, everyone except Cayde.

"Well there's a pretty face I haven't seen in a while." Cayde said as he eyed Lakshmi, shooting her a grin.

"You're terrible at reading the mood." She replied as she turned away from him, focusing on Zavala.

"I was just trying to get everyone to relax a bit beautiful." Cayde said, but Lakshmi only shook her head at him. "So what are waiting for Zavala?"

"Ikora's guest. But I suppose we can begin without her." Zavala noted as he took his spot at the back of the room, standing on the area that was slightly elevated in front of the windows. "Our newest threat is on its way, a threat that has been described as far greater than anything we faced before."

"And what threat could that be?" Hideo questioned in a deadpan.

"Crota's father, Oryx."

This statement from Zavala gained a gasp of surprise from the faction representatives that were present. They may not of have been on the battlefield facing Crota, but they had heard all of the stories. The death of thousands of Guardians on the surface of the Moon. But they had never even considered the possibilities of Crota having…family. Beings that could _rival_ , or even _surpass_ him in strength.

"Who's you source?" Saladin asked, breaking the silence that had set in.

"Prince Uldren of the Reef." Zavala stated.

"The Awoken?" Hideo exclaimed, clearly startled by this news. "What reason do we have to trust, or even believe _them_?"

"They've rejected any and all of our attempts to create an alliance with them in the past." Lakshmi added, getting a nod of agreement from Hideo.

"Don't forget, the Awoken are responsible for the key we used to enter the Black Garden." Ikora pointed out, recalling when Diana had shared that news her.

" _That_ , is only because the Vex threatened them as well." Hideo retorted.

"And once again, our enemies are mutual." Zavala said. "The Queen herself suggested and alliance."

Hideo and Lakshmi became quiet at this. Even though the Vex had posed a threat to everyone in the system, the Awoken chose only to act as guides to help the Guardians find the Black Garden. But if they were willing to form an alliance with the Vanguard, Oryx must have been on a completely different level.

"This threat…is real." Hideo noted as he folded his arms in front his chest.

"Very real." A new voice stated, causing everyone to turn around to look at the entrance to the room. Standing there was a woman dressed in black, a green sphere floating above her hands which she had cupped together.

"Eris." Zavala said in a whisper as she joined the group.

"When you mentioned the Hive in that transmission you sent, I thought it would be worthwhile to contact Eris. She does possess and extensive knowledge of the Hive." Ikora explained.

"Do you know why Oryx is coming here?" Hideo asked Eris.

"You all should be aware of that. The Guardians killed his son, and have now invited him to bring his wrath upon us." She replied, looking down at the sphere she held. "It fell silent after Crota was felled, but now it speaks again as Oryx approaches."

"What do you mean?" Zavala asked her.

"It's a channel. A link into the Hive pantheon." Eris replied. "It's warning me, us, that Oryx is coming to destroy what remains of the Light. His personal army is already present in the system."

"So what can we do to stop him?" Hideo asked as he looked around the room. "Kill of his armies until he stands alone?"

"Whatever you kill, Oryx will replace." Eris stated. "His power is immeasurable. Confronting him directly is a death wish."

"No…no, that can't be possible. There must be a way to defeat him." Hideo said, almost nervously. "There may have been losses through all of the battles, but the Guardians have always prevailed."

"Not this time. Not with our current circumstances." Eris replied. "The Guardians alone won't defeat this foe. Our only means of defeating Oryx rests above the City."

"The Traveler?" Shaxx said, receiving a nod from her.

"But how is the Traveler the solution?" Zavala asked as well.

Eris remained silent though, recalling the years that she had spent traveling throughout the tunnels within the Earth's Moon that had been built by the Hive. She had seen many dark things down there, ranging from Hive ritual sites to their breeding grounds. But her most significant discover was and information hub, the World's Grave. Held in it was a vast amount of knowledge that had been compiled by the Hive, which included a report of the only thing that ever stood against Oryx.

"The World's Grave, a Hive library of sorts, held a record where the Traveler became a super weapon to oppose Oryx." Eris explained.

"That's preposterous." Hideo exclaimed.

"The Traveler hasn't moved an inch in our recorded history. It's no weapon." Lakshmi stated. If the Traveler was some sort of weapon, she was positive that she would be able to tell.

"Fools, the existence of mankind couldn't hold a candle to the history of the Hive or the Traveler." Eris began, but Ikora raised a hand to interrupt her.

"Let's suppose the Traveler was a weapon, at a point before it came to Earth. How would be we be able to use it?" Ikora asked Eris.

"That's impossible. During their last encounter, Oryx made it a point to ensure that the Traveler wouldn't be able to harm him again. He struck the Traveler with his blade and broke off a shard of it which is now being kept by the Hive. They've been draining the Traveler of its Light since to keep it from ever regaining its strength." Eris explained, much to the group's dismay.

Ikora looked down in thought for a moment, sorting through what she had learned about Tobias and the Traveler in the last two weeks. The Traveler had previously been the Vessel of the Light, being forced to give up this role to Tobias during the Collapse. So of what benefit would be to drain the Traveler if Tobias was the one who currently holding the Light? There was still something else she needed to know, but she didn't where she would find the answer to these new questions.

"So basically, we're screwed." Cayde said, getting narrow stare from the others that were present.

"This is our darkest hour. How can you be so relaxed about this Cayde?" Hideo asked the Hunter who only shrugged in response.

"Well I mean you heard what Eris said, there's still a bit of hope." Cayde pointed out. "If we can get that shard and get the Traveler up and running, we can take out big baddie here with one shot."

"Eris, can you guide us to the shard of the Traveler?" Ikora inquired, but Eris only looked down at the sphere she held.

"It may already be too late."

 **Earth's Moon**

 **Shrines of Oryx**

"This is the center of the shrine!" Vance declared as the group pressed out of a tight tunnel, gunning down the dozens of Thrall and Acolytes that were attacking them.

"Ugh!" Niko grunted as he was blasted by the energy blasts from the Hive Boomers that were stationed farther into the shrine.

"We need to get rid of those Boomers!" Diana called out.

"I'm already on it!" Niko replied as he switched to his sniper rifle, taking aim at the nearest Boomer. With three shots he took out each of the Boomers. But in response to this, several doorways at the back of the shrine opened up, releasing another horde of Acolytes and Thrall who rushed the Guardians.

"Shoot em' down!" Carmen hollered as she raised her hand cannon, knocking out Thrall after Thrall with just one shot.

"It doesn't feel like we're making any progress." Diana pointed out. They had killed off well over a hundred soldiers of the Hive since entering the heart of the shrine, but their forces were still hounding them as they tried to push further in.

"This is one of the most sacred grounds of the Hive, so I imagine their forces must be densely packed into here." Vance explained before pointing to the structure at the center of the shrine, or rather the tunnel at the base of it. "I need to get in there. Hold them off for me."

"You got it!" Diana said as she took the lead, jumping into the air to hurl a Nova Bomb at the surrounding Hive, clearing a pathway for Vance to make his way into the tunnel.

"I need some help, there are two other entrances that need to be covered." Vance pointed out as he traveled down the tunnel to the small spire that awaited him at the bottom.

"Carmen, let's go down there!" Diana said, calling for the small Hunter to follow her as they pursued Vance.

"We'll keep their attention up here!" Niko called out as he and Tobias took their places by the entrance to the tunnel the others had used, firing upon the Hive with everything they had.

Reaching the bottom of the shrine where Vance was located, Carmen and Diana immediately had to jump in and kill off the Hive that was attacking him.

"Thank you." Vance said as he looked toward the spire.

"Don't worry, you just do you mumbo jumbo stuff and we'll keep them busy!" Carmen said as she summoned her Golden Gun. Pushing into one of the other two tunnels the Hive were entering from, she fired just one shot, catching a Thrall which was knocked backward into the forces behind it. The Thrall then burst into flames, claiming the lives of Hive soldiers that were pushing in, clearing away a fair portion of them as Carmen assumed full control of the tunnel.

Diana bombarded the Hive with Vortex grenades, using that to hold them back as she steadily picked the off until she had firm control of her tunnel as well.

"You're covered Vance, do what you have to do." Diana called out to the old Warlock who gave her a nod.

Examining the spire once again, Vance took no note of the eerie glow it possessed as he placed his hands onto it. Lowering his head, he began to whisper a few words to himself before he looked upward with a gasp.

Vance was torn from his body and launched into space at a speed he couldn't even comprehend. Before he could even take a breath though, he came to a stop in front of a massive Hive fleet. The Hive Tombships that many Guardians feared were minuscule in comparison the warships, and even those couldn't compare to the massive ship at the center of the fleet. It was miles long.

The Dreadnaught.

Looking around, Vance searched the cosmos for anything that he could recognize. Something that tell him how close Oryx was to Earth. But the landmark he found made his stomach drop. A red planet. Mars.

'Oryx is this close already?! How did he get past the Asteroid Belt without the Awoken noticing?' He asked himself, but he didn't have any time to give it some real thought. There was obviously a more pressing matter.

Oryx was close…too close. It might have been too late for the Guardians already.

Vance felt a stifling grip around his body suddenly that began to drag him closer to the Dreadnaught. The ship grew larger and larger until Vance could see that he was being pulled to a balcony on the side of the spacecraft. And resting on the balcony was Oryx.

"The Light, _will die_!" Oryx roared at Vance, sending out a shockwave that blasted him back to the shrines within the Moon. Returning to his physical body, Vance drew a sharp breath as he fell to his bottom. Placing his hands on his chest to see if he had really made it back, Vance looked around. He could still feel Oryx's presence.

"Vance? Are you okay?" Diana asked as she rushed down to the Warlock who had fallen over.

"Hey, what's going on?" Niko asked as the Hive surrounding them seized their attacks, choosing to kneel down in front of the Guardians.

"Oh no." Vance said as a chill ran up his spine. The room had become stone cold.

Diana shrieked.

"What the hell was that?!" Carmen screamed as she came running down into the room beneath the shrine. And she was shocked to see Diana slump to the floor with a large hole in her torso. "Oh crap, the hell is _that_?!"

"What's going on Carmen?!" Tobias asked her.

Down beneath the shrine, Carmen stared at a monotone creation with a single glowing eye at the center of its head. It wielded a large cleaver, just like a Hive Knight, and it strongly resembled one as well. But it was clearly different from the ones they had fought on the Moon during the course of this mission.

Vance reacted while Carmen stood frozen, using his pulse rifle to fire a burst into the body of this Knight, staggering it for a moment. This brief moment allowed Carmen to regain her senses as she raised her hand cannon and put a trio of bullets into the head of the Knight, causing it to waver out of existence with a shriek.

"Are you guys okay?" Tobias asked again.

"Diana's down. This black and white thing came out of nowhere and took her out." Carmen replied as she approached Diana's body which had begun to fade away, revealing her Ghost. The small drone quickly flew into Carmen, housing itself within her for the time being.

"We have to get out of here, Oryx has already reached the inner planets of our system." Vance declared.

"I'm with you. Ghost, give us a transmat!" Carmen called out, but the room shook violently for a moment.

"Damn, what are _those_?!" Niko exclaimed. All of the Hive that had stopped attacking them had suddenly become black and white as they now went on the offensive once again.

"We're in trouble now!" Tobias shouted.

"Ghost, we need the transmat!" Carmen reminded her partner.

"That's a negative. There's too much interference down here. You'll have to get to the surface, or at least out of these shrines!" Her Ghost replied as she and Vance raced up the tunnel to rejoin Tobias and Niko. Upon reaching the entrance to the tunnel, they discovered that Niko and Tobias had already engaged these monotone creatures. Tobias grunted as he raised his scout rifle, using it to block the cleaver of a Knight.

"Rah!" Tobias shouted as he raised his leg and kicked the Knight in the torso, sending it stumbling backward. He then pounced at the Knight, slamming his palm into its chest which released a pulsating blast, obliterating it in an instant.

"Damn, these things are crazy!" Niko yelled as he spun away from a Thrall while taking out his tanto to cut it down mid spin.

"Come on, we need to get out of here!" Vance repeated for them as he motioned to the entryway they had used to get into the shrines. These creatures were overwhelming them, fleeing was obvious choice. But the room became heavy as these new creatures that resembled the Hive stopped attacking them. They all looked up, causing the Guardians look up at well. In front of the sphere at the center of the shrine, wisps of gray and black began to appear, forming a face. A face that Tobias knew.

"YOU!" Tobias roared in response.

"At last, vengeance _will_ be mine!" A monstrous voice boomed, causing the room to shake once again. The trio of eyes on this face twinkled and flashed, blinding everyone momentarily. When their vision returned, the Guardians found themselves looking at a new enemy that had replaced the face that floated above them. It was black silhouette, with its wings spread wide and a long cleaver in one hand.

None of them had a moment to react as Vance was attacked. The Echo of Oryx slammed its cleaver down onto him, crushing the Warlock. There was a moment of silence as Carmen no rested on her side right beside its weapon, staring with wide eyes at where Vance had previously been standing. As the Echo lifted its cleaver though, Niko and Tobias sprayed it with bullets, forcing it to back away from Carmen.

"Hey, are you with us?" Carmen asked Vance who lay motionless.

"Get his Ghost, and then we're getting the heck outta here!" Tobias said as he and Niko continued to fire at the Echo, but it now raised its cleaver to block their assault.

"I'm…sorry to say this, but I, no longer have a Ghost." Vance said weakly to Carmen as he looked toward her.

"No, you can't be serious." Carmen said to him. Vance shook his head slowly.

"This is, it for me." He continued. "You must hurry…Oryx will be here soon."

Vance had lifted his head just enough to look at her, but now it dropped down to the floor limply as he stared straight up at the ceiling. All his strength, his life force, was gone.

"Carmen!" Tobias screamed as the Echo hovered above her, raising its cleaver to kill her. Hunching over to activate Arc Blade, Tobias summoned all of the strength he could muster to spring at the Echo. He had to intercept this attack or Carmen would be lost as well. Drawing his blade from his belt, Tobias quickly realized he was moving faster than even he had planned on, now possessing ample time to attack the Echo rather than just intercept its attack.

Slamming his blade into the body of the Echo, Tobias pushed with his all his might, throwing the Echo across the room. But in the few moments he had come into contact with it, he felt a sudden drain on all of his energy.

His Arc Blade vanished as he returned to his usual form, dropping to the ground with a hard thud.

"Tobias, what happened?" Niko asked him as he dashed at Tobias, shooting down a pair of Thrall with his hand cannon.

"That thing…just drained my Light." Tobias replied as Niko helped him to his feet, putting one of Tobias' arms over his shoulder to support him. Tobias barely had the strength to fight on his own feet right now.

"Oh, we're in deep doo-doo now! Carmen, we're out!" Niko shouted as he jumped toward the exit with Tobias, calling for their only remaining teammate to follow them.

* * *

 _Diana floated aimlessly through the starry heavens, not a soul in sight. She was completely alone._

 _Blinking slowly, Diana moved her heard a bit as she tried to recall what had just taken place. She had sensed and dark presence as she approached Vance, but before she could react she found a massive cleaver piercing through her stomach. Her body had gone numb after this, and everything became black right after as she hit the ground. There was nothing she could've done._

 _"I…died." Diana said to herself as her urgency returned. Her Ghost provided her with a visual of what was taking place with her teammates. She could see Carmen and Niko sprinting through the tunnels of the Moon, holding up Tobias together on their shoulders although the vast difference in height between them made this look very awkward._

 _With a small smirk on her face, Diana knew that her teammates had saved her Ghost. She could always count on them. They were always there, not just for her, but for each other._

 _But suddenly the Awoken Queen appeared in front of her, pushing aside the visual of her fireteam._

 _"I've lifted you banishment from the Reef, and I've arranged for you to return to your position among the Royal Guard." Mara Sov stated as Petra now stood beside her, each of them extending a hand toward her._

 _"I suggested that you be reinstated into the Royal Guard." Petra added, giving Diana soft smile. "Return to us Diana."_

 _The two of them became silhouettes that grew very tall, beginning to loom over her._

 _Was this what she wanted? To return to her home? To the place where she grew up?_

 _Within the silhouettes of Mara and Petra, Diana could see her family and close friends from the Reef appear. Her mother and father. Aunts and uncles. Grandparents. Even her fiancé._

 _Wait a moment…_

 _Why was she seeing all of this? None of these people were even alive. They wouldn't be there waiting for her if she returned to the Reef._

 _Most of these faces faded away, save for a few. Some of her old friends and comrades, none of which had even tried to contact her after her banishment. They weren't true friends, or even people that she could rely upon._

 _Diana shook her head as she reached out and waved her hands through the shadow of Mara and Petra, causing them to waver away. Hidden behind them was the same visual she had of her fireteam as they ran through the Moon. And above them were dozens more. Not just images like what she had seen of her former life in the Reef, but these were actual memories that were playing for her to see that moment in time._

 _She could see the first time she had met Briggs-6 and Niko in the Hall of Guardians. She could see when she was training under Ikora Rey, trying to learn everything she could from the Warlock Vanguard. She saw when she, Niko and Briggs had destroyed the Heart of the Black Garden and returned to the Tower as heroes. There was the time she had been given the opportunity to duel with Shaxx one on one in the Crucible. She could see herself, Niko and Briggs walking through the Tower plaza with fireteam Salamander following them from a distance._

 _And this was just the beginning. There were numerous instances of her battling alongside many different Guardians, back to back, shoulder to shoulder._

 _This was her life now._

 _She had real allies, friends…a family. People that would never turn of her, or leave her to bite the dust. Brothers and sisters in arms._

 _The Reef held nothing for her now. She had no reason to return._

 _She had a home!_

 _She was a Guardian!_

 _The star filled cosmos around her vanished into a blinding white light, leaving her in an empty plain._

 _"What's going on?" Diana asked out loud._

 _In front of her, another picture began to form. She could see…a man. And he was hanging in the air, all of his limbs placed in shackles and stretched out in all directions. As the image grew, she recognized the clothing this man was wearing. One of her teammates wore those same robes now._

 _"Tobias?"_

 _His surroundings were too hazy for her to make out. There was just a lot of yellow behind him. Was that the sun? No, it wasn't nearly bright enough._

 _Was this…a vision?_

* * *

Diana shot up from the bunk she had been resting on, gasping for air as she looked around frantically. She was in the cabin of Niko's jumpship, surrounded by her teammates. Carmen was right beside her along with Niko, while Tobias was seated across from her.

"Welcome back to the land of the living." Niko greeted her with a grin.

"Hmm, what's happening?" She asked, placing a hand on her stomach in search of the wound she had received earlier. But it was completely gone now, as if she had never been skewered.

"Those things in the Moon, I still haven't been able to identify them, but they're dangerous." Diana's Ghost said, getting a nod of agreement from the group.

"We we're kicking ass at the beginning, but they turned the tables on us like it was nothing." Carmen commented.

"I was just going easy on them." Niko replied as he waved off the thought their enemies being strong. Diana rolled her eyes at him in response.

"Oh, we're you saying, 'we're in deep doo-doo now!'" Carmen said as she imitated Niko's voice, mocking him. Diana stifled a laugh as Niko looked away from his fellow Hunter, choosing to ignore her now.

"Hey Tobias, you've been quiet." Niko noted.

"Don't go changing the subject!" Carmen hollered at Niko, but she then noticed that both Niko and Diana seemed to be concerned with Tobias who had indeed been silent since they had gotten onto Niko's ship.

"Are you okay?" Diana asked him. Tobias looked up at them, putting his hands together in front his face as he took a deep breath.

"I remember." He stated, immediately getting everyone's full attention. Even their Ghosts took shape, waiting to see what Tobias had to share.

"What did you remember?" Diana asked him as they all leaned forward.

"I remember…Oryx. From the Collapse, when I was still just a human. It was just like Prince Uldren said, Oryx came down to Earth and started slaughtering people everywhere. City after city fell as he searched for the Traveler." Tobias explained as he held his head. There were still some hazy areas, but he could clearly remember news reports that tracked Oryx's campaign to the Traveler. "It's not clear…, but I remember those shrines too. I was there before, in fact, Osiris sent me there to destroy those shrines, but I was attacked by Oryx."

Tobias had to take a few deep breaths as he recalled being in Oryx's suffocating grasp. _"I will extinguish your Light!"_

"We have to stop Oryx…or he'll kill every last one of us." Tobias stated.

"Vance already said he's made it to the inner planets." Niko pointed out.

"So what's the plan then?" Diana asked, causing her Ghost to jump in to the conversation now.

"We've already relayed what we've learned to the Vanguard. They're holding a meeting with the Consensus as we speak to determine our next course of action." Her Ghost explained.

 **Earth**

 **Last City**

 **Consensus Hall**

The large gathering place was filled to the brim with concerned citizens, authority figures members from every faction in the Last City. When the Vanguard had called for this emergency meeting, everyone gathered quickly. The last time one of these had been arranged for was just before the Battle of Twilight Gap broke out.

"Sources have revealed to us that a new threat has arrived in our system." The Speaker announced from the small balcony he stood on, releasing this information for those present to catch up on the situation. "A threat far greater than anything we have faced in the past. It has already been determined that the odds of us succeeding in a direction confrontation of this foe is close to zero, so the Vanguard has been working on an alternate means to combat this new enemy."

"Eris has revealed that the Traveler is capable of becoming, so ort of weapon that we can use." Ikora stated as she stood up from her seat.

"The Traveler…a weapon?" Whispers raced around the crowd at this. They had never heard of such of thing. The most the Traveler had ever done was float above them. But the Speaker raised a hand to silence the crowd.

"This is true. During the Collapse, I witnessed it myself." The Speaker revealed. "But the Traveler made many sacrifices to protect us. It is no longer capable of doing anything of that caliber again."

"Eris said that as well. But she said that the reason for this is because the Hive has been draining the Traveler of its Light using a shard they had been broken off of it." Ikora explained. "We were going to organize an effort to retrieve this shard, but a fireteam on the Moon has just confirmed that Oryx is very close to Earth already."

"We don't have a time table for how long that mission would take. We have yet to locate the shard as well, so it's been decided that we don't want to risk remaining on Earth if we failed to find the shard in time." Zavala added, getting nod from the Speaker.

"So what are you suggesting?" The Speaker asked, causing Arach Jalaal to rise from his seat.

"We're going to run." He stated. "Our top priority is to preserve mankind, _and_ the Traveler."

The Speaker gave him a nod of agreement.

"But where are we going to go?" The Speaker inquired. He was already aware of the plan that had been set in place by the Vanguard, but this was to inform the public of what was going to take place as well.

"To the Reef." Arach explained a map of their solar system was projected for the whole audience to se. "The Awoken have agreed to house the inhabitants of the Last City there to give the Guardians more time to retrieve the shard of the Traveler."

"I see." The Speaker noted as he studied the map.

"So the _grand plan_ is to sacrifice the Earth, our home?!" Someone in the audience cried out. The unrest spread like wildfire as everyone began to voice their opinions on this. Once again the Speaker was forced to silence everyone, allowing Arach Jalaal to speak to them.

"We _do not_ have choice at this point. With Oryx approaching, we have two options. We can leave now, and give ourselves a chance to beat him later on. Or we can try to stand our ground right now, and get annihilated in the process." Arach declared. "That is why we've concluded that evacuating the City is the best course of action. The entire Dead Orbit fleet is already returning to Earth to take the entire population of the Last City. No one will be left behind!"

"I see you've been planning well." The Speaker noted. "But, do any of know if the Traveler if capable of leaving with the fleet?"

Everyone seemed to freeze at this. If they couldn't move the Traveler, then all was lost already.

"Can it move?"

"I've never seen it do anything before."

"What are we going to do?"

"Relax." The Speaker said, silencing the whispers. "I have spent a great deal of time studying the Traveler. And I've learned of a way to, pilot it, so to speak."

There was a sigh of relief through the audience at this new information. The fight for survival was still on!

But Ikora gave the man in white a narrow glance as her suspicions about him continued to pile up. The Traveler had never moved in the recorded history of the Last City. Yet the Speaker knew of a way to pilot it. How was this possible?

There was definitely something odd about him…

A/N

Alright, now things are really getting heated with Oryx approaching. I'm sure some of you are wondering why Oryx has already made it to the Inner Planets so I'll explain this as briefly as I can. To my understanding in the TTK canon, the Queen sacrificed herself at the Battle of Saturn to stop Oryx from entering the Inner Planets which bought us some extra time to get what we, the Guardians, need from Earth before boarding the Dreadnaught. But since I don't have a full understanding of this, I decided to just drop it and follow my own route, so Oryx has a free ticket to Earth.

Also I just want to add that Oryx is here earlier than in the Destiny canon. Crota being killed is the reason why he came to our system in game, but there's another reason that I've added in my fic which will be explained in the next few chapters.

As always, thanks for your support everyone!


	15. Oryx's Arrival : Burning City

**Chapter 15**

* * *

 **Last City**

The Last City on Earth. The last remaining sanctuary for mankind. It had stood for centuries now, surviving various threats thanks to the efforts of the Guardians. But for the first time in nearly over two decades, the Last City was in peril.

Once again a new threat had risen that could potentially wipe out what remained of humanity and the Light. But this time, everyone was certain that the walls of the City would not stand. Not against this enemy.

"The Vanguard has issued a full scale evacuation of the City."

The news spread like wildfire. There wasn't a soul in the city that didn't know about the approaching threat. Everyone packed up what belongings they could take, and made their way to the airfields in the northern district of the city which were lined up with the cruisers that made up the fleet Dead Orbit had been preparing. There were hundreds, if not thousands of ships prepared that varied in sizes, filling them to their maximum capacity before they took off, beginning their journey to the Reef.

The Guardians had been divided, a portion of them acting as escorts for the transport that were leaving the City. Those who remained on Earth were assisting the citizens of the Last City as they prepared for their departure.

The streets of the Last City were barren now. Shops closed up for what would likely be the final time. Businesses closed down and homes were abandoned. Everything had lost its value since it was all being left for the Hive to pillage.

 **Tower**

 **Hall of Guardians**

"This isn't a favorable time for us to be making a trip to the Reef." Zavala noted as he studied the map that was being projected from the center of the table. The Earth and the Reef were as far apart as possible on opposite sides of the Sun.

Looking through the map now, Zavala's attention became focused on the man in white robes that had just entered the room. The Speaker.

"You all requested my presence." He said softly, receiving a small greeting from each of the three Vanguard Mentors.

"Well it was more those two than me." Cayde commented as he motioned to his counterparts. "I'm just here for the sake of being here."

"We have a few questions for you, if you don't mind." Ikora said after rolling her eyes at Cayde's comment.

"Not at all, ask freely." He replied as he joined them around their table.

"During the meeting yesterday, you mentioned that there's a way for you to pilot the Traveler. Can you enlighten us on how that's possible?" Ikora asked as she looked at him intently.

"Ah, I had a feeling that you would be curious about that Ikora." The Speaker said with an unseen grin on his face. "During the Golden Age, there was a special group of people that studied the Traveler…intensely. I was one of them. We learned many secrets about the Traveler, but just like the Traveler, most of those people perished in the Collapse."

The Speaker took a moment to take in deep breath, looking down sorrowfully. He could recall his close associates, all of whom he missed dearly.

"We discovered the Traveler's ability to alter its physical form." The Speaker went on.

"So it has more forms that what we've seen?" Ikora inquired.

" _Many_ more. But sadly, those may never be seen again with the Traveler in its current state."

"So then, how are you capable of piloting it then?" Zavala jumped in.

"The Traveler was once capable of becoming a ship to travel through the depths of space. While I cannot change it to that form, I'm more than capable of using my own strength to direct the Traveler to the Reef." The Speaker explained.

"Use your own strength?" Ikora repeated, furrowing her brow. How much strength did the Speaker possess that he could move the Traveler?

"Yes, my willpower." The Speaker replied. "As I said, I was among those that studied the Traveler deeply. Each of us established a connection with it, which will allow me to direct it in this state."

"So with you at the helm, we can get the Traveler off world. Excellent." Zavala noted with a nod of approval.

"Something to keep in mind though, with just more power alone, reaching light speed will be impossible. Not only that, but I will have to stop in order to rest as well. If I strain myself I'll run the risk of losing control and leaving the Traveler adrift in space." The Speaker explained.

"You can't reach light speed." Zavala said to himself.

"I know this will length our journey, but I don't have any other options." The Speaker stated.

"I see. We're looking at months in space if you're not traveling at light speed." Zavala said. "We'll arrange for a portion of Guardians to escort you and the Traveler to the Reef."

The Speaker gave him a nod of thanks for this.

"When do you plan on leaving?" Cayde asked curiously.

"In two days. There is still information in the City's archives that must be preserved. Once I'm done collecting it, I will depart." The Speaker explained.

"Alright, just give us the word. We'll start putting together a group to be your body guards in the meantime."

 **Plaza**

Tobias stood alone at the edge of the plaza, resting his arms on the banister as he looked out at the grand city below. He didn't even have a chance to develop any sort of attachment to it. There were all sorts of things he had wanted to do, places to visit, people to meet, but now there was no time. And there wouldn't be an opportunity after that. The number of citizens in the city were rapidly dwindling as the massive Dead Orbit fleet took off, making their way to the Reef.

The Last City had been humanity's last stand on Earth, but in the face of certain doom, they had no choice but to abandon it.

Tobias shut his eyes for a moment.

 _Drifting into his memories, he could recall looking up at a large television monitor amongst a large group of people, listening intently to an emergency news report. The headline below the anchor read 'Armageddon'. Despite the wealth of experience this news anchor had, he couldn't put up a front in front of the cameras. He was clearly distraught as he took a deep breath._

 _"Roughly half of the fleet has broken orbit, but millions on the eastern hemisphere are still waiting for an opportunity to board a ship to escape this monster." The onsite reporter declared as their segment game to an end. "Back to you in the studio."_

 _"…Unfortunately, we've lost contact with, any studio in America. This was the last bit of footage we salvaged from a crew in New York before it was destroyed." He said, motioning to the monitor behind him._

 _It was shaky video, as if it was captured by a hand held device. The cameraman's hands were clearly trembling as he looked over the edge of the rooftop he stood on. Further down the city block, there was an enormous winged creature wielding a cleaver, swinging its weapons through the tall skyscrapers of New York City. Anything and everything in its path was slaughtered, and there was nothing that anyone could do about this monster._

 _Tobias recognized this being though. It was Oryx._

 _"No one has ever seen anything like that thing down there. There's no way to stop it." The cameraman muttered as he turned around, looking toward the skies where numerous aircrafts were launching an attack on Oryx._

 _In response though, Oryx hurled his cleaver at the approaching attackers, ripping through a majority of them with one fell swoop. Most of aircrafts exploded instantly, but those were the lucky ones. The remaining ones had a few moments to watch as they fell to their doom._

 _"Look out!" A shrill voice screamed as their attention was drawn to the planes that had bene it. It was heading straight toward them, leaving a trail of thick black smoke._

 _The anchor cringed at the sound of the impact before the video came to an abrupt end. The focus then shifted back the studio where the anchor spent a moment chewing on his lower lip. Then he shook his head a bit, refocusing himself._

 _"New York City was the last known location of this monster. We have yet to determine where it came from, or why it's here. All efforts to communicate with it have failed, and we have no means of stopping it. The United Nations has ordered a full scale evacuation of the planet in response."_

"Tobias?"

Tobias perked up as he pulled from his thoughts. Turning, he discovered that Diana had been standing next to him, giving him a curious glance.

"Are you okay?" She added as he blinked a few times.

"Yeah…yeah." He said a second time, reassuring himself that he was alright. "I was just…remembering something."

"Really? What was it?" She asked as she leaned against the banister as well, eager to hear about it.

"I was looking at a news report, during the Collapse. Oryx was there, and he was just…destroying _everything_." Tobias explained as he shook his head. "We couldn't do anything about him. And now, it's like I'm living that all over again."

Diana opened her mouth a bit to speak, but she quickly realized that she didn't have any idea what to tell him. She had some vague ideas of what Oryx was capable of, but Tobias had actually survived the wrath of this Hive god once before. She could imagine what Tobias was going through right now knowing that he have to do this all over again.

"Things are going to be different this time." Diana said to him, receiving a nod.

"I think so too. Last time Oryx was here, I was powerless. I couldn't do jack, but this time I'm going to make a difference." He stated as he returned his gaze to the city. All of those people down there were sacrifices their homes, their possessions, and their livelihood, just to survive. He wouldn't let all of this go to waste.

"That's the right idea Tobias. We just have to keep our heads up and everything will turn out alright." Dian said as she gave his shoulder a tap. Tobias gave her a small smile in return.

"So just out question, what brings you here?" Tobias asked her. As far as he knew, most of the Guardians were rummaging through their vaults, picking out any weapons they would need since it had already been declared that they would lose access to anything in there once the Tower was gone. Tobias didn't have much, so he was already set, although he found it amusing to see a dozens of Guardians crowded around the Vaults in the plaza as they grabbed what they could.

"I'm not really a hoarder like the rest of them." Diana replied, getting a chuckle from her teammate. "I just came to give you a heads up that we have orders from Zavala. We've been added to the group that will be escorting the Traveler to the Reef."

"Good to know." Tobias said as he now focused on the sphere that hovered above the Last City. He had heard that anyone involved in escorting the Traveler was in for a long trip. This could very well be the time he needed to train some more, especially with Oryx now being a threat to their system.

* * *

It had been two full days since the evacuation had been announced, and everything had been proceeding smoothly. But in the middle of the night, and unsettling sight appeared.

"Is that…what I think it is?" A Warlock asked as she pointed up at the Moon. The satellite that orbited the Earth shined beautifully in the dark skies, but there was something in front of it. It looked like nothing more than a box, but it was actually blocking a fair portion of the Moon from their sight. It was huge!

Guardians began to gather in the plaza as the commotion picked up. Many of them began use their helmets to take a closer look at this mysterious object since the moonlight made it featureless to the naked eye.

"The Dreadnaught." A Hunter whispered, sending chills down their spines.

"Already?!"

"But the Traveler hasn't even left yet."

"And we still have a few transports that haven't left either."

The Tower was put on red alert as word spread quickly. The Dreadnaught had arrived at Earth's Moon, which could only mean that a battle was approaching. Even the Speaker in his private quarters heard the news, going over to the window to see for himself.

"Ghost, create an open channel for me." The Speaker requested to his small companion. The Guardians were becoming restless just by the very presence of the Dreadnaught. "Guardians, at ease!"

Hearing the Speaker call out to them, the Guardians became silent as they waited for his guidance.

"It is more clear than every that our threat of Oryx is close. We haven't got much time, so we must band together now because we can face an attack at any moment. Go down into the city, find anyone who hasn't left yet and get them out of here. We will not let a soul fall into Oryx's clutches." The Speaker declared. "At sunrise, the Traveler will depart from the Last City."

 **Southern Residential District**

"Are you guys getting any readings?" Diana asked as she stood on the roof of one of the man skyscrapers. Her teammates were down below, dashing through the streets as they performed one final sweep of the city. There thousands of apartments in just this small area, but all of them were empty.

"I'm not getting anything." Tobias called out.

"Yeah, same here." Niko added.

"I think we're clear down here." Carmen stated, getting a nod from Diana.

"I was thinking the same thing." Diana said as she glanced up at the horizon. The skies were lighting up as the sun rose up. It was almost time to go.

"We've still got a small piece to go." Tobias pointed out as he dashed into the last area they had to check.

"Let's move then!" Carmen declared anxiously.

Ever since the Dreadnaught had appeared beside the Moon, all of the Guardians could feel the intense pressure being exerted from that ship. They recognized it as the weight of the Darkness. It was as if Oryx was staring right at them, waiting to strike them down.

The sooner they finished this sweep of the city, the sooner they could get off world, and away from Oryx.

"Hey Diana, any word of when the Traveler is taking off?" Tobias asked her, but he received no response. "Diana?"

"Guys…look up." She said softly.

"Oh my god, what the hell is _that_!?" Niko exclaimed. He had gone out one of the rooftops to the seen the sunrise for himself but he was now frozen as he stared at something otherworldly.

There were cracks in the sky! Traveling around the perimeter of the city, Niko had to spin around with the with his heart racing as the cracks began to grow. But soon enough his eyes became settled on a sport where it appeared as though a pair of hands had slipped through the cracks, taking a hold of them. The Hunter's eyes widened as a deafening roar resounded through the city. Then the two hands ripped the cracks a part, revealing the dark void that had been concealed within them.

The same monotone enemies that they had fought within Earth's Moon came rain down from the skies above by the thousands, landing on the walls of the City. Niko and Diana watched in horror as they descended down into the city at break neck pace, clearly racing toward the Traveler.

"Guys, we have to move… _now_!" Diana shouted as she looked around. The Taken were coming from every direction, charging for the center of their great metropolis.

Calling for his sniper, Niko raised his weapon and looked down the scope at the approaching horde. It was like a tidal wave of them that was completely unaffected as he picked off a few of them. Their numbers were truly unlimited.

"Yeah, this is going to get hairy!" Niko called out.

"We should get back to the Traveler. The Speaker has gotta be taking off any second now!" Carmen said, getting a nod of agreement from Niko and Diana.

"Hold on, I'm detecting two life forces nearby." Tobias' Ghost interjected as it marked their location on Tobias' interface.

 _"We will not let a soul fall into Oryx's clutches."_

"We have to save them." Tobias stated as he looked up at the towering building they were inside of. "Ghost, what floor are they one."

"The thirty first." It replied as Tobias quickly spotted his target. A small ledge at least halfway up the building.

"Alright Tobias, but you have to move fast. We have no time as it is." Diana said as she drew a scout rifle, beginning to pick off the Taken as well.

"You don't have to tell me twice." Tobias replied as he began to funnel the Light into his legs. Feeling his weight all by disappear, Tobias leaped into the air, going up a considerable distance before his rise came to a stop. "Almost."

Crossing his arms in front of his chest, Tobias then opened a seam into the Void, allowing him to Blink upward several more floors placing exactly where he wanted to be. Reaching out with both hands, Tobias grabbed onto the small ledge and hoisted himself up, having just enough room to stand on his feet.

"Excellent Tobias, you made it to the twenty seventh floor." His Ghost noted as Tobias no looked through the window he was leaning against. He then Blinked into the building now, a smirk on his face at how well he was able to use this ability now.

Now standing within one of the apartments, Tobias charged out the front door, breaking it down with ease as he searched for a stairwell. His Ghost quickly located one, feeding it to his interface which led him straight to it. Racing up the staircase, Tobias made it to his destination with no time to spare.

"Tobias, we're getting overrun down here!" Carmen called out.

"I'm almost there!" He replied as he rounded a corner.

Hearing a shriek, Tobias quickly grabbed his Proxima, readying the weapon as he arrived at the door he was looking for. Raising one leg, Tobias kicked down the door and raised his weapon as he looked into the apartment. His eyes darted around the room, assessing the situation.

There was a woman huddled into the corner of the room, using her own body was a shield to hid a small boy from a trio of Taken Acolytes that surrounded them. Terror was written all over her face as she stared at these creations, but she had already steeled her resolve to protect her son above everything else. The Acolytes raised their arms, aiming their Shredders at her with the clear intention to main both of them. All the woman could do was shut her eyes as she drew what she assumed to be her final breath.

But three gun shots rang out, causing the Acolytes to screech before they faded out of existence.

"Alright guys, I found the civilians." Tobias stated as the woman opened her eyes, amazed as if someone had answered her prayers. They had been rescued.

"The Speaker is going through his final prep before takeoff. The Vanguard has set up a barrier around the Traveler as a last line of defense to buy the Speaker some extra time." Diana explained, getting nod from Tobias.

"Okay, I'll meet you guys there." He replied before turning his attention to the pair of people he had saved.

"Thank you!" The woman exclaimed with tears in her eyes as she and her son rushed over to Tobias.

"We don't have any time. I have to get the two of you out here." Tobias said. "Ghost, we need a transmat to the Tower."

"I hate to say it but that's not going to happen. The Taken have already begun attacking the Tower." His Ghost explained.

"Great." Tobias muttered as he exhaled.

"Our ship is on standby outside the city though. I can open a transmat to it." His Ghost suggested, getting a nod from Tobias.

"That'll work. I'll head for the Tower after that." Tobias stated before he turned to the pair. "Ma'am, I'm going to send you and your son to my team's ship. You'll be safe there for the time being."

* * *

Almost every Guardian that was present in the Last City had gathered together beneath the being that had granted them their powers.

The Traveler.

The Taken were flooding into the Last City, surrounding the Guardians as they prepared to eliminate what remained of the Light. This was their final stand!

"We need to establish our perimeter!" Zavala commanded as Defender Titans began to place their Ward of Dawns on the streets creating a wall around the Traveler. "We can't let them get any further than this point!"

"Here they come Guardians." Cayde noted from the rooftop he stood on, staring the sea of enemies racing toward them.

"Open fire!" Zavala shouted. The Guardians began to step out of the bubbles, pulling on the triggers of their weapons to bathe the Taken with bullets, but despite this these creatures pressed forward.

"Gunfire alone isn't going to stop these things." Ikora noted as she lowered the pulse rifle she held. "Guardians, once they're in range, unleash everything you've got on them. Hold nothing back! We're going to need all the Orbs we can get!"

"You heard the orders, let's show them what we're made of!" A Titan shouted as he punched his palm which became lit with Arc Light.

Gunslingers and Voidwalkers didn't hesitate to begin using their abilities, pelting the Taken with their long range attacks which put a few holes in their forces, but they still continued to advance. Approaching the Guardians, the battle turned into pure chaos as Strikers and Bladancers became involved in the fight, shredding through the Taken with their vicious onslaught. But even with this near endless supply of Orbs to use their abilities, the Guardians still found themselves being overwhelmed by the number of opponents. Slowly they were being pushed back.

"We just need to hold out for a few more minutes!" Zavala shouted, trying to rally those around him, but he could see that the tide of the battle was shifting in favor of the Taken. They were being beaten back, something that hadn't happened to the Guardians in quite a while now.

"Zavala, I think it's time." Cayde said through the private channel between himself and the Vanguard Mentors. Dropping down behind the two Mentors who had been fighting side by side, the three of them backed up to put some distance between themselves and the battle.

"It's not going to change the outcome of this battle." Zavala replied as he and Ikora looked toward Cayde.

"They're getting hammered right now. If we leave this battle running with our tails between our legs, none of them are going to want to come back here." Cayde reasoned, getting a short nod from Ikora.

"He's right. At the very least we need to raise morale for our next encounter." Ikora added, earning a sigh from Zavala as he evaluated the situation.

The defense line that their Defenders had made earlier had been broken, and the Guardians were steadily retreating to the Traveler. It was clear that beside the impressive numbers that the Taken forces had, they were by far the toughest opponents that any of the Guardians had fought before.

"We have no choice do we?" Zavala said, receiving a nod from the two of them. "Alright then. We'll discuss the repercussions of this later."

"Okeydokey let me start off then." Cayde said as he raised one hand, watching as a purple aura enveloped it. Closing up his finger up as if to grasp something, the Void Light that Cayde held took shape, becoming a lengthy bow. As the string finished forming, Cayde gave it a small tug to test its strength, giving it a nod of approval. Then the fingertips of his remaining hand became ignited as well with Void Light which he touched the rest with, causing an arrow to form as he pulled the bow string back. Taking aim, Cayde shut one eye as he spotted an opening through the Guardians that stood in front of him. Releasing his hold on the string, the arrow rocketed off, whizzing past the Guardians who jumped in surprise from the unexpected attack.

All of them seemed to freeze as they watched the arrow claim the life of a single Taken Acolyte which left back a small swirling vortex. From this small anomaly, numerous fiery ropes sprung forth, latching onto the enemies that surrounded them. Any Guardian who had failed to notice the arrow definitely caught sight of the Tether that had suppressed a portion of the Taken. They had never seen anything like this.

Turning around, the Guardians found the Mentors standing behind them, their eyes being drawn to Cayde as he lowered the Void Bow that he held.

"Hah!" Ikora gave a shout as she raised her hands, summoning all of the Arc Light that she could. A bolt of lightning seemed to drop down onto her, blinding all of them for a moment, but once they could see the Warlock Vanguard, everyone was in awe. She hovered just above the ground, electricity crackling around her as it provided her with a distinct blue shielding.

"Rah!" Zavala closed both his hands into fists as a sphere of flames formed in front of him. With one hand, Zavala reached into the flames, taking a hold of a grab handle which he slowly pulled out fire, eventually removing a sizeable flaming hammer from it. Zavala then swung it through the air, igniting his entire body in flames before he looked at his fellow Mentors. "Let's do this."

Ikora and Zavala charged forward, racing past the Guardians that were startled by what they were witnessing. Ikora raised her hands, releasing numerous bolts of lightning that chained from one enemy to the next, obliterating dozens of Taken at a time. Zavala lunged into the enemies, putting his shoulder out as he plowed deep into the Taken forces. He then threw his hammer at the ground, lighting the ground beneath him on fire which became the spot that he anchored himself to.

Despite just throwing his hammer which burst on contact with the ground, another hammer formed in his hand almost immediately replacing what he had lost. Zavala then hurled it into the crowd of Taken that surrounded him, setting the street ablaze. Cadye quickly notched another arrow into his bow and fired it at Zavala to suppress the enemies as they began to focus on the Titan Vanguard.

"Come on Guardians, I making this easy for ya'll. It's nothing but target practice!" Cayde shouted, reminding the Guardians that this was still a battlefield. They all began to rally behind the Vanguard Mentors, supporting them as best they could, but this little to change the flow of the battle.

On the opposite end of the battle, Undaunted stood at the front lines, fighting off the Taken alongside numerous other Guardians.

"Niko, watch your flank!" Diana called out as a trio of Taken Thrall pounced at the Hunter who had been preoccupied with a Taken Knight. Fortunately, Zeke came to his rescue using Shoulder Charge, blasting away all three of the small beings with his large body.

"Damn, thanks man!" Niko said upon realizing that it was Zeke. "Fireteam gecko, right?"

"Salamander!" Zeke roared at the Hunter who chuckled in response.

"Guys, there's no time for that now!" Diana snapped at the two of them as she kicked away a Taken Acolyte before firing upon it with her fusion rifle.

"Whoa, check that out." Carmen said as she pointed to a Taken Vandal which had summoned a protective dome to shield itself and its allies. A number of the Taken began to gather in this bubble, much to Zeke's irritation as he looked at it.

"Do you really think you can copy our abilities?!" Zeke roared as he charged into the fray, his body become engulfed in Arc Light. Entering the bubble, Zeke threw himself at the ground, releasing and outburst of Arc Light which destroyed all of the surrounding Taken both inside and outside of the bubble. "Your fake crap is nothing compared to the real thing!"

"Zeke, you overextended!" Axel called out, causing the Titan to look around. There was nothing but Taken around him now.

"I got him!" Sheryl said as she came through with Arc Blade activated, clearing a pathway for Zeke to return to them.

"We're doing good right now!" Diana called out. "We just have to hold our ground for a little bit longer!"

Just then, a shockwave was sent out from the Traveler, causing most of the Guardians to look back as it began to rise. Heavy gusts of winds traveled out, battering the Guardian, but they all cheered in response as their great escape began.

"What's the situation in the Tower?!" Zavala demanded over the comms.

"The evacuation is complete but…the Tower has fallen."

"That's alright. Our mission is a success." Zavala declared. "Good work today Guardians, we'll live to fight another day."

"Your Ghost should have been prepping transmats to your ships. You're clear to leave the area Guardians!" Cayde shouted, and with that, the Guardians began to disappear from the battlefield.

Diana looked to her left, seeing fireteam Salamander disappear as they were warped to their jumpship. The number of Guardians quickly fell to zero as all of them abandoned the battlefield, everyone but Undaunted.

"Ghost, what's taking so long!?" Diana shouted as she, Niko and Carmen darted into a building for cover.

"Did you forget, you loaned out your ship to help with the escorts two days ago!" Her Ghost hollered in response.

"Shoot, who prepped our transmat then?" Diana asked as she looked at the pair of Hunters with her. Both of them looked at each other, causing Diana to deadpan. "TOBIAS~!"

"Sheesh, what are you screaming so loud for?" He asked in response as the three of them now stood within the cabin of Tobias' jumpship.

"Whoa, wait, when did you-?" Carmen exclaimed as she looked around. The three of them had been teleported to the cabin of Tobias' jumpship.

"I wasn't sure if any of you had prepped for this, so I had my Ghost set one up just in case earlier this morning." Tobias explained with a grin as Niko looked down the ramp that led out of the ship. Quietly heading down on his own, the rest of the team followed him out. The ship had been waiting for them on of the tall mountains to the north of the Last City. They could see the whole metropolis from here.

There was a smoke and flames everywhere. Their once great home was now being trampled upon by the Taken.

Approaching one of the many trees that had concealed their ship from sight, Niko unsheathed one of his tanto blades and swung out at the trunk of the tree. Niko then stepped away from the tree trunk, allowing the others to see what he had done. Etched into the bark of the tree was three letters.

"F-T-U?" Carmen said in confusion as she looked up at Niko.

"Fire-team Undaunted." He replied as he looked back at the Last City. "We'll be back."

All four of them took one last look at the Last City, burning the sight into their minds. Oryx would pay a hefty price for this.

* * *

It wasn't long before all of the Guardian had broken out of Earth's orbit and began their journey to the Reef. It was quite a sight to see the Traveler in motion, something that mankind hadn't seen since the Golden Age.

The last flagship of the Dead Orbit fleet which traveled alongside the Traveler. It was well stocked with supplies for the long journey ahead of them, and the Vanguard quickly declared that the Guardians could take up residence within the flagship. Landing their jumpship within one of the many of hangers of the flagship, Tobias and Diana now stood watching as the woman and her son came out of the jumpship. She spoke softly to her son who looking around with wide eyes at his new surroundings.

"Everything's okay now sweetie." She said to him as she kneeled down beside him, embracing him. He was still shaking, or that could have been here. She really couldn't tell. After all of the chaos she had been through today, she couldn't believe that she was actually alive. "We're alright…we're alright."

The two of them stood together for a while, clearly needing a moment to put themselves together. Finally though, she released her son and straightened up, motioning for him to follow her as she approached Tobias.

Watching as she neared them, Tobias was mesmerized by this woman. She was beautiful, although her expression didn't do her any justice. She was obviously still shaken from the events of today.

"I can't thank you enough for saving us." She began, extending a hand toward Tobias. Accepting her small gesture, Tobias could feel her hand trembling. He then looked up at her face, taking a moment to look into her amber eyes. They were unfocused. Her head must have been the clouds as she tried to figure out what she and her son would do from here. Tobias turned her hand upward, and placed his remaining hand on top of it, giving it a soft rub as he gained her full attention.

"Don't worry miss, you'll be alright with us." Tobias assured her. There was a moment of silence as her eyes. They looked so familiar though…almost like he knew them well.

"Thank you…you know, I haven't even introduced myself. My name is Trisha, and this is my son Cody." She said, looking down at her son who had approached Tobias, looking up at him with his big eyes.

"Thanks for saving us mister." He said with a soft voice. He was small, no older than three or four years old, barely reaching Tobias' knees.

"It's what I'm here for buddy." Tobias replied before glancing at Trisha. She was smiling now as she watched her son. Just knowing that he was safe again had put her heart at ease. And Tobias froze at the sight of her now, unable to look away. It was a soft smile, but Tobias felt his heart flutter at the sight of it. Fortunately, Trisha didn't notice him staring, but Diana was quick to pick up on it. Giving him a soft nudge with her elbow, Tobias snapped his head to the side to look at her.

"Stop gawking." She mouthed to him, causing Tobias to snort in response. Noticing the two of them moving again, Tobias watched as Cody went over the exit of the hanger which was sealed by a force field. Standing there, he could see the Earth as it grew smaller in the distance.

"Mommy, when are we going back home?" He asked her as she joined him.

"I don't know sweetie. That's not for me to decide at the moment." She replied as she kneeled down next to him.

"Are we leaving because of the monsters?"

"That's…" Trisha trailed off, trying to determine what was the right answer.

"True." Tobias stated, finishing her sentence as he stood beside them now. "But don't you worry; we have heroes that are going to take care of everything."

Cody looked up at him in awe, receiving a grin from Tobias.

"Are we going to go back soon?" Cody asked Tobias.

"Soon? I'm not really sure. But I can promise you that we will go back home." Tobias said to him. As Tobias spoke to Cody, Trisha noticed Diana trying to get Tobias' attention, but he paid no mind to his teammate.

"I'm sure you've got some kind of official business to get too so we won't hold you up." Trisha said, nodding toward Diana.

"Evil never rests." Tobias said, giving them a two fingered salute before heading back to Diana.

"Are you okay mommy?" Cody asked Trisha as he looked up at her.

"I'm alright. But you know what would make me feel better? Why don't you play a song for me?" She suggested, causing Cody to smile as he set down the small box that he had been carrying.

Within this small case was a flute which was separated, but Cody expertly snapped the instrument together. Once it was ready, he brought the mouthpiece to his lips and began to play a tune for his mother who began to sway back and forth in response to the song.

Hearing the song, Tobias looked back at the two of them and he frozen in place, his chest becoming tight.

 _Standing in front of him a young dark skinned boy, no older than six. In his hands was a flute that he was blowing into delightfully, playing a tune for Tobias._

 _It was then Tobias realized that he was seated on a couch, leaning back comfortably with someone beside him. A beautiful woman who was beaming with pride as the boy played for them. Tobias' arm was around her as she rested her head on his shoulder._

 _The boy continued to play a tune that Tobias seemed to know by heart as he waved his free hand in sync with the music. He knew this song. He had heard this boy play it daily, practicing hard for…something._

 _And he and this woman were supporting him all the way. He loved both of them so much and yet…_

 _The scene shattered like broken glass._

"Tobias, what's the matter?" Diana asked him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Tears were slowly traveling down his cheeks as he stared at Trisha and Cody.

"I…had a wife and…a son." He noted softly. "And I lost them."

Diana raised her eyebrows at the news.

"I don't know what-I don't what happened them." He continued, but he was getting choked up on his own words. His beloved wife and son. He couldn't even remember their names. Were they even alive? Damn it, what were their names?!

A/N

One of the greatest 'what if's' in Destiny is, what if the Tower or the Last City was attacked and destroyed in the process. And I just couldn't resist building on it. I've had all sorts of discussions with my clan mates as well as random people I've met playing the game, and everyone had their own kind of cents about how it would happen. A lot of people believe that it would be the Cabal that would launch this attack on the city, others thought that the Fallen would eventually muster up another force to attack like its Twilight Gap again.

Either way, everyone agreed that the coolest aspect of this would be that if we failed, we should lose access to the Tower. So we'd have to go to other social spaces to meet with vendors, get bounties and check the vault and what now. Could imagine if something like this ever took place in game? That would be outstanding and I really hope this is something that Bungie in planning in the future. But that's enough of my two cents since I'm just sitting her waiting for Rise of Iron. So until we meet again, be good everyone!


	16. New Paths

**Chapter 16**

* * *

 **Flagship**

"Well this is quite a mess the two of you made of this." Cayde commented as he looked at his Vanguard counterparts. The trio was seated around a small table within a soundproofed room to ensure that the crowd outside couldn't hear them. There a glass window that audience was looking through, but the mentors paid them no mind.

This crowd of Guardians was eagerly waiting for the Vanguard to announce whether they would be revealing the new abilities that were put on display during the invasion.

"If I remember things clearly Cayde, you told us to wait so that you could go first." Ikora pointed out, raising a brow at the Hunter.

"That's because I knew the two of you would start showboating." Cayde shot back as he leaned back in his seat. Zavala cleared his throat to refocus them.

"That aside, a number of Guardians reported to me that the Taken are far stronger than anything we've faced before." Zavala stated, causing the other two mentors spare a glance at the Guardians that were observing them. "They want to learn these abilities."

"Do we have much of a choice here?" Ikora asked them. "We've been put in a position where we had no choice but to run. If we're going to fight back, we're going to need _all_ of the firepower we can get."

"The two of you…are really serious about this?" Cayde asked them as he straightened up in his seat, looking at each of them. They remained stoic in reply.

"Cayde, we're facing a threat that, according to the Awoken, single handedly caused the Collapse. Everyone has to be fully equipped for this battle that lies ahead of us." Zavala pointed out. "My reputation with the Sunbreakers is already in shambles, but I'd prefer to do further harm to that than know I sent hundreds of my Titans into battle without a full arsenal of abilities."

"I agree one hundred percent." Ikora added. "The Astral Order had already given me the green light to begin training Stormcallers, it was just a matter of when I was going to start. I think now is the time more than ever."

"Yeah, well I don't think you're going to be seeing more Nightstalkers around here just yet." Cayde said, surprising both of them.

"What do you mean?" Zavala demanded.

"The two of you are in a positon to mass produce Sunbreakers and Stormcallers, but it's different for me. The power of a Nightstalker is handed down from one Hunter to the next. I can't pass this on to just anyone." Cayde responded as he looked away from the two of them. His old friend Tevis had been the last Nightstalker among the Hunters of the Last City, but his abilities had been passed on to Cayde under dire circumstances.

 _"How could this happen to you?" Cayde asked softly as he kneeled down beside his longtime friend. Tevis lay motionless on the cold floor of the Black Garden, refusing to move despite his best efforts._

 _"…Cayde? Is that you?" Tevis asked weakly, fighting just to get this question out._

 _"Yeah, it's me. Just take it easy, I'm here now. Where's your Ghost?" Cayde asked as he quickly looked around the empty area._

 _"The Vex…they already got to it. It's too late…for me." Tevis said as he raised one hand toward Cayde._

 _Cayde felt his throat become tight, if that was even possible for an Exo. He couldn't think of what to say in this situation. His friend was dying, and there was nothing he could do._

 _"Please take this." Tevis said as his open hand became ignited in Void Light. "This Light won't burn, much longer. Take it…and make it your own."_

"Cayde, I want to sympathize with you, believe me." Zavala began. "But you cannot allow this to cloud your judgment. We've faced Oryx and Taken just once now, and we had to abandon everything we've spent the last few centuries fighting for. Now is not time to be sentimental." Zavala stated, snapping Cayde out his thoughts.

Cayde gave him a sharp stare in response, sighing deeply. Closing one hand into a tight fist, Cadye dropped it down onto the table, surprising his fellow Vanguard Mentors before he rose from his seat.

"Where are you going?" Ikora asked him as Cayde glanced over his shoulder at them.

"Cayde, our discussion has not yet concluded." Zavala said as Cayde began to head over to the exit.

"Oh I know, that's why I'm leaving." Cayde said as he continued out the room, leaving the two of them alone. Cayde pierced through the crowd that was waiting for him, ignoring their demands for information.

* * *

Tobias found himself wondering through the corridors of the massive cruiser, his hands in his pockets and his head in the clouds. They had been aboard this ship for three two days now, although he wasn't really sure. He wasn't really trying to keep track of time. He had a list of other things to occupy himself with.

He still couldn't believe that he had a family. People that he used to share his daily life with. He couldn't remember their names though. But these memories had of them, they weren't fake. They were too vivid. He could see his wedding unfold right in front of him. He could remember the night that his son was born, and how he held him for the first time. What happened to them though?

He could kind of recall how chaotic the Collapse had been. Oryx had been razing their civilization to the ground, and people were running for their lives. It was possible that he could have been separated from them. Or maybe they got on board one of the ships that managed to escape but he was never reunited with them. There were still too many blank and hazy areas in his memory, but bits and pieces were starting to fall into place.

Tobias blinked as he caught a whiff of a familiar scent before realizing that he was standing at the entrance to one of the four large cafeterias that had been built into this flagship. Entering, Tobias looked around, enjoying the delightful smell that filled the air.

The cafeteria only had a few occupants, six other Guardians who were all seated at a table close to the kitchen. Approaching the large window area that allowed him to peer into the kitchen, Tobias discovered quickly discovered who was responsible for this wonderful smell. It was none other than Eva Levante.

"Oh sweetheart, it looks like I captured your stomach as well." Eva commented with a small smile as she waved to Tobias, recognizing him immediately. She invited him to take a seat by the window as she opened up the oven to pull out of the dessert she had been making. "It's finished everyone, come get a slice while its hot!"

In an instant the other six Guardian present were with Tobias at the window, watching as Eva pulled out a pair of apple pies from the oven. The crust of a pie was a beautiful golden brown, causing everyone to lick their lips in anticipation. Soon enough all of them had received their own slice, causing the orther Guardians to return to the table they had been seated at, leaving Tobias at the counter with Eva.

"Are you alright sweet heart?" Eva asked him as she took a seat beside him. She had noticed that Tobias had been picking at his treat, clearly lost in his thoughts even though he had been captured just by the scent of the apple pie.

"Huh, oh, I just have…a lot on my mind." Tobias replied slowly.

"Well there's no sense keeping it bottled up. Why not speak to old Eva." She suggested with a warm smile, causing Tobias to chuckle at her kindness. "So, what's on your mind?"

"During the evacuation yesterday, I rescued a woman and her son. Seeing them together once we got to safety brought back some memories of my own family." Tobias revealed to her, causing Eva to don a straight expression. "It's been almost three weeks since I became woke up on Diana's ship, and during all that time I guess I forgot that I had a life of my own before all of this. I kind of figured that I was always a Guardian, but now I know that I had done something else before this."

"Ah, I understand what you're feeling Tobias. I can't say that my comparison is spot on, but I've outlived most of my friends and family." Eva revealed to him with a smile. "Once they were all gone, I realized that I was alone. I was depressed for quite a while, and I won't even tell you how long it took me to stop wallowing around and feeling sorry for myself. But do you know what helped me begin to feel better?"

"What?" Tobias asked her.

"I stopped living in the past." Eva stated. "I was clinging onto things that weren't there anymore. And _that_ was stopping me from moving forward."

Tobias remained silent after this statement, allowing it to settle into his mind.

"But how can you say that so easily?" Tobias asked her.

"Like I said, it wasn't easy Tobias. It takes time to move on from something. But the trick to making that transition as painless as possible…is to absorb yourself in something, anything. Otherwise you'll find yourself thinking about the past again." Eva explained to him. "That's why I became the Guardian Outfitter."

Eva looked back fondly at the group of Guardians as they devoured the apple pie she had baked for them.

"I lived to see a few centuries come and go. I've seen Guardians of all shapes and sizes, but all of you are still like children to me." Eva said sweetly as she looked toward Tobias. "Now finish your pie dear, it won't taste as nice if it's cold."

Eva placed a hand on his shoulder, giving a rub to reassure him that he would be fine before she joined the other Guardians at their table. Tobias watched her as she went off, impressed with her poise and demeanor. She really was a pool of wisdom.

* * *

Sitting on the bed within the small cabin that had been given to him, Tobias looked out the window behind him. He could see just how boundless space was beyond the ship they were within, but even with such a beautiful scene in front of him, Tobias found his mind wandering.

What were his wife and son like? What did they do together on Saturday afternoons? Did they enjoy walks in the park? Or going to movies?

 _"I stopped living in the past."_

Despite Eva's words though, Tobias still found his thoughts drifting back to his former life, before he became a Guardian. He wanted to know more about himself, but he had no way to find out. Dropping himself back onto the bed, Tobias looked up at the ceiling, trying to think of something else.

Fortunately, there was a knock at the door. Rising up now, Tobias looked at the entrance of his room as the door slid open revealing Diana to him.

"Is anyone home~?" She asked curiously as she stepped in, greeting Tobias with a wave and a smile. "How ya feeling?"

Tobias sighed deeply, shaking his head a bit.

"I don't know. I can't really focus right now." He replied as she laid back again, looking up at the ceiling once again. Diana shut the door and joined him, taking a seat at the edge of the bed. "I just…don't know what I should think right now. Whenever I want to do something, my mind just goes right back to my life before I became a Guardian. I never once thought that I might have been normal. You get what I mean?"

"I know exactly what you mean Tobias." Diana stated, causing him to glance up at her. "I remember when I woke up as a Guardian, although I had all my memories intact. Right now I look back at my former look, and it all seems like a dream. Sometimes I still can't accept that I used to have a life where I didn't have to fight all time. When things were actually peaceful."

Tobias gave her a small nod of agreement.

"I noticed that noting ever really seems to bother you Diana. No matter what's going on, you're always focused on what has to get done. The whole mission could've gone to crap and you'll still have your head on straight." Tobias noted, causing her to laugh a bit. When he fell to the bottom of the Cosmodrome Wall, Diana wasn't fazed by this at all. Even with Briggs' death weighing on her mind, she was still focused for the most part back at Twilight Gap. How did she do it?

"No one said being a Guardian is easy Tobias, not by a long shot. Even though we're all dead, it's not like we all want to spend all our time out of the battlefield. Because after a while, it really starts to…drain you." Diana went on. "But in the end, you can't think about all of this stuff too often."

"What makes you say that?" Tobias asked as he raised himself up.

"You can't let events in the past dictate what you do now. I know firsthand that revenge isn't going to take you very far." Diana stated as she looked directly into his eyes. "You have to focus on the here, and now. You're not fighting for the people you haven't seen in centuries. You're fighting for the people who just sacrificed _their_ planet, just to give us another chance."

Diana took a short breath as she ran her fingers through her short locks.

"Guardians make sacrifices all the time, but a lot of us forget that we're not the only ones making sacrifices. It's hard to keep that in mind sometimes when you think about it. But we're not fighting for ourselves. Our lives are over. Now we stand once again to protect the Traveler and humanity. That's all we need to think about."

Tobias remained silent, letting this information digest. Eva had told him something similar the day before.

"You can't let events in the past…dictate what you do now." Tobias said, repeating what Diana had told him. She was right.

As much as he wanted to know more about his family, dwelling on them and his past was only acting as a distraction. This was no time for him to be moping around, not when others were making sacrifices for him.

"You're right Diana." Tobias said as she slid off his bed, putting himself on his feet. He then looked directly at her with a very small smile. "Thank you."

"It's what I'm here for." Diana replied as she shot him a grin, glad to see that his mood had improved. And just in time since a pair of Hunter came banging on his door.

"Geez, what's going on?" Tobias asked as the door opened, allowing Niko and Carmen to come tumbling in.

"Did you guys see this?!" Carmen exclaimed as she jumped up to her feet, her Ghost forming beside her.

"See what?" Tobias asked, causing her Ghost to begin projecting a recording of the Guardians final stand back within the Last City. In this recording he could see the three Vanguard Mentors display abilities that none of them had ever seen before. Cayde was rattling off arrows of Void Light that captured and suppressed their enemies. Ikora was unleashing torrents of electricity, blasting away their foes by the dozens. And Zavala had become ignited in a flaming armor, pitching out molten hammers at anything that dare oppose him.

Tobias whistled audibly at the sight of all of this, impressed with what he was seeing.

"Apparently there's been special Guardians out there that have been working on new ways to channel the Light, and this is the end result." Niko explained.

"And the Vanguard Mentors just announced that they're going to teaching us how to uses these too!" Carmen added excitedly.

"For real?" Tobias asked, receiving a nod from her. "Oh man, we're going to beast and feast on the Taken with these."

"Don't get ahead of yourself Carmen, Cayde said that he's personally selecting who he's going to be training." Niko pointed out, causing Carmen to turn back to him in shock.

"Then I've got nothing to worry about. Cayde must know about my legendary feats in battle." Carmen said confidently.

"What feats?" Her Ghost asked her in a deadpan, causing the rest of the team to burst into a fit of laughter.

"Ugh! You suck so much!" Carmen shrieked at her Ghost as she chased the small drone out the room. Niko chuckled at the usual exchange between these two before looking toward Tobias, giving him a grin.

"It's good to see you back on your feet Tobias." Niko said before he left as well.

"Uh, thanks." Tobias said. Diana then cleared her throat to regain Tobias' attention.

"So actually, I stopped by to tell you that Ikora is going to be starting the Stormcaller training later this evening. Care to join me?" Diana offered him.

 **Dining Hall**

Tobias now found himself in the same dining hall that he had been in when he was speaking to Eva the day before. But now the sweet scent of apple pie was missing, and in its place were the Warlocks that were accompanying the Traveler to the Reef. Ikora truly enjoyed the sight of so many Warlocks gathered together at once, listening to them as they exchanged information about subjects that varied from their discoveries out in the field, to the reason behind their choice of robes. It was relaxed setting, but she would have to bring it to an end.

Stepping up onto a small platform that had been put together by the maintenance crew, Ikora called for everyone's attention.

"Well this is quite a turn out." Ikora noted with a smile as she looked around at the crowd of Warlocks around her. All of them become silent immediately, ready for their lesson to commence. One of the more eager ones raised their hand, filled with questions already. "Yes?"

"Ikora, it's no secret among Warlocks at least that the Praxic Order trains Warlocks on how to channel Solar Light so that we can become Sunsingers. Why is it that these teachings are still kept secret, while the discovery of channeling Arc Light is being shared with us almost immediately after its discovery?" They asked, causing Ikora to smirk just a bit.

"I can't give you a straight answer to your question. You would have to speak with the Warlocks of the Praxic Order if you really want to know. But I'm certain that you could discern that the Praxic Order is stuck in their old ways." Ikora replied. "On the other hand though, you're here right now to understand what it means to be a Stormcaller."

Ikora raised on hand, beginning to channel Arc Light to her fingertips. Electricity began to crackle around her hands, before it began to travel up her arms, eventually surrounding her entire body. Everyone watched in awe as Ikora rose into the air, spinning a few times for everyone to get a full view of the electrical field that had developed around her. This was the type of power they would be handling now.

The Storm is chaos. The Trance is control. Both are needed to become a Stormcaller.

The 'oohs' and 'awws' came to an end as Ikora returned to the floor, reverting back to her usual stature.

"The Astral Order had been researching Arc Light for decades after the Battle of Twilight Gap. There are several phases involved in becoming a Stormcaller. The first step is understanding how to channel Arc Light." Ikora explained. "Do any of you understand the concept to doing this?"

Most Warlocks had a wealth of knowledge concerning how to use their abilities, and it was never a problem for them to put it into practice. But Arc Light was a different kind of monster for them.

"Arc Light can be compared to kinetic energy. It's everywhere." One of the Warlocks said after being called upon by Ikora.

"Channeling Arc Light is based entirely around gathering this energy that's in motion and being it to our will." Another added.

"Good, so you all do understand how to do it. But with Arc Light, there is chaos, and control." Ikora stated.

Tobias snorted a bit at this. Absolutely none of this was making any sense to him. He could recall that Niko had tried to explain Arc Light to him back on the Forgotten Shore, but he didn't really get it then. And he still didn't get it now.

"I don't get it." He whispered to Diana, but she placed a finger against her lips to shush him.

"Don't worry, it'll make sense as we go on." She replied.

"The reason that Warlocks have struggled to wield Arc Light up until this point is because of the two spectrums that exist when using Arc Light. Our counterparts, Titans and Hunters, both exist on the very extreme of each spectrum." Ikora went on. "Titans often describe Arc Light as tumultuous, uncontrolled…chaotic. They've embraced this and it shows in the destructive power that can unleash as Strikers at any given moment."

Many of the Warlocks gave a nod of agreement.

"In comparison, Hunters use Arc Light as masters of precision. That same destructive force a Striker would use, is fine-tuned and contained within a Bladedancers weapon. We as Warlocks though, stand at the center of these opposing ideals, searching for the perfect balance between them to wield Arc Light." Ikora said as she finished her explanation.

"Wow!"

"That's incredible!" The crowd exclaimed.

"Now spread out and practice drawing out Arc Light. First begin by gathering it in your hands, and then begin shaping it as you would Void Light." Ikora said as she motioned for them to get moving.

Not a moment was wasted as the dozens of Warlocks spread out to various parts of the room, placing plenty of space between each other as they began to practice. It wasn't long before Ikora found herself observing her students with electricity crackling around their hands, some of them already managing to spread this power throughout their entire body. All but one of them was making fast progress.

Tobias was staring at his hand intently as he fought to channel Arc Light. The muscles in his arm were tense, his fingers were fully extending, but nothing was happening.

"What the heck is going on?" He exclaimed with a sigh, dropping his arm to side. Glancing around at the others, he could see that everyone was harnessing Arc Light without a problem. Many of them were beginning to experiment to see just what they could do with this new power.

"Hey Tobias, check this out!" Diana called out to him. Looking around for his teammate, Tobias couldn't seem to find her among the other Warlocks. "No, up here!"

Looking upward, Tobias found her floating nearing the ceiling of the room which was quite a ways up. And electrical field surrounded her body, exactly like what they had seen Ikora do. Diana had already replicated Ikora's demonstration just minutes after she had done it for them. And he had yet to do anything…

Tobias frowned as some of the Warlocks began to gather around, calling out questions to Diana to see if they could understand what she had done to progress so quickly.

"Don't feel down." Ikora said to Tobias as she approached him.

"How can I not?" Tobias asked her. "Everyone else is making this look easy, and I can't even do the easy stuff yet."

Ikora remained silent as she recalled the report she and the other Vanguard Mentors had received from Briggs'6 regarding Tobias' ability to channel the Light. The former leader of Undaunted had mentioned that Tobias struggled with channeling both Arc and Solar Light. And even know, it was clear that he still hadn't figured out what was the cause of this struggle.

"Tobias, do you understand where you're drawing this power from?" Ikora asked him, but he only shook his head in response.

"I haven't the slightest." He replied. He understood the Light was his means of power, but he couldn't get a grasp of how to channel this power from his surroundings. "I never had to take power from anything else. I always get the energy from myself."

Ikora placed a hand on her chin, furrowing her brow as she went into deep thought. She had never heard anyone say something like this. The power the Guardians wielded didn't come from within them, it had always been in their surroundings. It had been recounted in numerous data banks that the Traveler had released a powerful surge of Light during the Collapse, causing its power to be interwoven with their surroundings throughout the system. The Guardians could freely use this power as they see fit, using the Traveler's Light to draw out the power around them.

But Tobias was different. If he truly the Vessel of the Light as the Speaker said, it might very well be that all of his power came from within. Perhaps a test was in order.

"As I said before Tobias, energy resides in everything around us. Take a moment, and try to sense it." She said to him.

Tobias took a deep breath as he focused, shutting his eyes to prevent himself from getting distracted. The noise from the other Warlocks came to hush as he breathed softly, trying to feel the energy that resided within them. But he couldn't find it.

"No, I can't." He said with a shrug, but this didn't deter Ikora.

"I think I understand what might be the case." Ikora stated, receiving a look of confusion from Tobias.

"What do you mean?" Tobias asked her.

"To my understanding, you're acting as a vessel as the Traveler. You are the source of the Light that surrounds us, therefore you might be incapable of using the Light that we Guardians rely upon." Ikora explained before looking away from him. "But this is contradicted by your proficiency with Void Light."

Tobias looked at her curiously, waiting to see if she would continue.

"I think an experiment is in order. Once we arrive on Venus Tobias, I'll contact you again." Ikora stated.

* * *

"What's up with you?" Tobias asked as he approached the girl who was seated alone within one of the hanger bays. She had her arms folded in front her chest, her cheeks puffed out with clear irritation.

"What do you want?" She asked him, shooting him a sharp stare.

"Just came to check on you. Niko told me you stormed off after Cayde selected the next group of Nightstalkers he would train." Tobias explained as he took a seat beside her. "So are you alright?"

"Heck no! I'm stinkin' pissed!" She retorted with a huff. "I wanted to be a Nightstalker, but that stupid butt-face Cayde only picked a couple of people. _All_ of the Titans and Warlocks are learning their new sub-class, but only a few Hunters get the chance. How is that fair?"

"Well you never know, Niko might be able to teach it to you." Tobias suggested, getting a nod from Carmen at the thought. Niko was pretty cool, maybe he would.

"He had better." Carmen said softly, getting a chuckle from Tobias. She then looked up him, realizing that Tobias should've been with Diana and the other Warlocks. "Why aren't you learning how to become a Stormcaller?"

"Since I suck so much as channeling Arc Light, Ikora told me to wait until we get to Venus. She said the second phase of becoming a Stormcaller might actually be my first step." Tobias explained.

"So are you going to join Zavala and learn how to be a Sunbreaker?" Carmen asked, a bit of jealously welling up in her chest at the fact that Tobias had all these options.

"I didn't even bother to check in with him. Obviously becoming a Sunbreaker involves uses Solar Light, and I have a funny feeling that I won't do so well there either. And I'm sure you know what I mean" Tobias said, getting a bit of a laugh from Carmen.

"I still don't know how you can only get one shot out of a Golden Gun." Carmen pointed out. "That's why we call you the one hit wonder."

"Yeah yeah, laugh it up. But one day I'll show you what just one hit can do." Tobias said to her with a smirk. She gave him a light shove in response.

"So that means you're stuck, like me." Carmen noted once she finished snickering at him.

"Yup, we're stuck together." Tobias added, causing a grin to creep onto Carmen's face.

"Then how about we get in our own special practice." Carmen suggested.

"Like what?"

"Well since we're not learning anything new, we might as well sharpen the skills we got right now." Carmen explained.

"I like the sound of that."

* * *

"So how did that one feel?" Carmen asked Tobias as he removed the headset to look up at the monitor that displayed his score. He had scored four hundred out of five hundred possible points.

"Not bad judging by the score." He replied as he looked back to her with a smirk.

Deep within the flagship, there were numerous simulators that had been designed and built by Dead Orbit to train human soldiers in the event that the Guardians were defeated and mankind had to abandon the Earth. These simulators though, became a practice ground for the Guardians to keep their aim sharp while the action was at an all-time low. And it was a fantastic place for Tobias to continue experimenting with different weapons. He was definitely starting to get a sense of how to fire his weapons beyond just a scout rifle.

"Whoa now, don't let this go to your head." Carmen stated as she extended a hand toward him. Tobias placed the headset in her hand which she quickly put on before pushing him aside so that she could step into the simulator. "Put in on the highest difficulty, and get ready to be amazed."

"Show off." Tobias muttered as he clicked his tongue, watching as Carmen picked up the auto rifle that was connected to the simulator. The machine was nothing more than a standing cylinder, but it responded to your every movement as it placed the participant in various settings to test them.

Looking up at the monitor hanging beside the simulator, Tobias could see the scene develop around Carmen as she held her weapon. Fire was everywhere as numerous Fallen Ketches descended from the skies above. She was in London, the day the Fallen had burned it to the ground. Her heart rate quickened as she quickly had to take shelter within a nearby building, giving her radar some time to get a bearing on the enemies around her. She used this time to give her auto rifle one last check before she began her mission.

Carmen charged off into the heat of battle, engaging the Fallen that were destroying everything in sight. Tobias watched with raised eyebrows as she began gunning down everything with her only weapon. Dregs, Vandals and Captains were nothing to her. She was doing so well that she began to attract the attention of an approaching Walker Tank. But even this didn't stop her as she disposed of it quite easily. Tobias was surprised by how easy it was to destroy one of those things.

All of the gun fire and explosions coming from Carmen's simulator began to draw a crowd as she racked up points, slaying the Fallen hordes all by herself. It was becoming nothing but a show for her audience as she demolished everything.

Standing on top of a hill that overlooked the burning city, Carmen glanced out at the cityscape with a sigh of a relief as she placed her auto rifle on her shoulder, giving everyone a thumbs up. She had cleared out all of the Fallen, and the event came to an end.

"Fifty thousand!" The other Guardians exclaimed with cheers for Carmen as she stepped out of the simulator.

Carmen had scored exactly how many points were available. She was perfect, even as she faced the full might of a Fallen house on her own. Tobias felt his chest tighten a bit as he pictured himself in Carmen's boots. Would he have been able to perform as well as she did?

"Let me take a crack at that one." Tobias said, eager to get in some more practice.

* * *

"Not bad Tobias." Carmen commented with a nod of approval. "You're really improving."

"Thirty eight thousand." He noted with a grin. It had been just over three weeks since he and Carmen began to use the simulators as a practice ground, and Carmen couldn't deny that Tobias had made tremendous progress. Firing a weapon was something that took time and practice, but Tobias clearly wasn't a green Guardian. The weapon skill that he had before losing his memory was there, it was just a matter of shaking off the dust.

As he continued to fire each weapon, it became more natural for him. Scout rifles were easily his favorite, but he could pick up just about any weapon and perform well in the simulator.

"I noticed you didn't miss during the final three minutes. Were you in the Gunslinger's Trance?" Carmen asked him curiously, causing Tobias to scratch the bridge of his nose with a chuckle.

"Yeah, that junk is crazy." He replied. This was the second time he had entered the Gunslinger's Trance since being introduced to this ability by Sheryl and Carmen, and it was almost breathtaking. He could read the movements of his enemies just off the slightest movements, allowing him to adjust every shot he took. And with the experience he was gaining with each weapon, he could reload them blindfolded if he had to.

"Nice. Make sure you put it to good use when you're down on Venus." Carmen said to him as Tobias handed her the headset and test weapon.

"Thanks squirt. Wish me luck out there." Tobias said as he gave her a small two fingered salute before heading off.

Exhaling as he left the training area, Tobias began his journey to the hanger that had been designated for the Warlock's departure to Venus. It had been a strenuous three weeks for him as he used the simulators to brush up on his gun skills. Witnessing Carmen's display on their first day had lit a fire in his chest as he became determined to compete with her on the highest difficulty. But in doing so, he quickly saw the glaring difference in skill between them. Carmen was adept at using any weapon, and she her neutral game was strong as well. Tobias on the other hand, was very reliant on his abilities, which he didn't have access to in the simulator.

It took him ages to realize that he didn't have a bail out option, forcing him to be smarter with his decisions. He had to think on his feet, be aware of the situation, and react accordingly. As he began to do this, his scoring went through the roof. He was progressing, but he was far from the only Guardian who was improving.

During his breaks or at dinner each night, Tobias could hear all of the Guardians discussing their practice sessions for their new sub-classes. They were all giving each other tips and pointers on how best to utilize their new abilities. Everyone was extremely motivated, eager for their next encounter with the Taken. The Guardians were compiling a laundry list of new or refined abilities to unleash on their enemies, and they couldn't wait to do so.

Tobias hadn't seen much of Diana or Niko, but he could only assume that their training was going well with the reception these new sub-classes were receiving. But today would be his first opportunity to work with Diana in quite some time now.

Their fourth month journey to the Reef had reached its first checkpoint. Venus. Acting as a pilot for the Traveler, the Speaker needed to rest himself which meant that the Traveler and the small fleet that accompanied it had to land on the surface of Venus for a period of time. Titans and Hunters had been tasked with establishing and maintaining a safe zone around the Traveler, meanwhile the Warlocks were undertaking their next step in becoming Stormcallers.

 _"The Vex are an interesting species, if you can call them that. For example, there's a being among them that's recognized as the Conductive Mind. These are a special group of Vex that harness the same kinetic energy that we use to channel Arc Light, but they use it to provide power for Vex units across the system." Ikora explained to Tobias. "Destroying this Mind will give you access to the core which is responsible for its ability to harness kinetic energy. The other Warlocks merely need to study how it harnesses kinetic energy, but you Tobias…I want you to come into contact with the core. Perhaps that will allow you to understand how you can tap into the natural energy that surrounds you."_

Entering the hanger, Tobias could see that all of the Stormcallers in training had gathered together, carpooling so to speak as they prepared to depart. The Vanguard had pinpointed the location of numerous Conductive Minds across the surface of Venus, dividing the Warlocks into teams to give each of them a target. They would attack in groups, the core of a Conductive Mind would be the spoils of their victory.

Making his way through the crowds, Tobias' Ghost directed him to the location of Diana's ship where her small team of Warlocks was already set to leave. Heading up the ramp of the ship, Tobias entered the cabin where he was greeted by a Warlock he was familiar with, and another two that he didn't know.

"We meet again Tobias." Axel said, giving Tobias a wave. The Exo Warlock of fireteam Salamander stood at the center of the cabin, leading the discussion. Tobias gave a small nod in return before he glanced at the other two Warlocks. One was a female Exo, and the other a light skinned man with shaggy blonde hair.

"Rox-12." The Exo said to him as he took a seat beside her. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Thanks." Tobias said as they shook hands. He then looked toward the man who raised his eyebrows at him, realizing that it was time for his introduction.

"You can just call me Dario." He said, raising a hand to bump fists with Tobias.

"Tobias." He replied, introducing himself.

"We're all here Diana, let's get moving." Axel called out toward the cockpit where their pilot had been waiting for them.

"Tobias is here?" She asked, peeking back into the cabin.

"Ready and waiting!" He replied.

"It's good to see a familiar face." She said as the exits to the ship were sealed off. The spacecraft then began to rise as Axel took a seat in the cabin.

"I'll give you a quick recap Tobias." Axel said as he focused on the last person to arrive. "Our target is located in an underground facility in the Ishtar Sink. Ikora gave us a warning that these Conductive Minds charge all sorts of Vex units, so that pretty much guarantees some opposition."

"Great, I wouldn't have it any other way." Tobias said as he clapped his hands. His first _real_ battle in weeks. He could wait to see how much had progressed since they had left the Earth.

A/N

And now were diving into Taken King along with my own version of the sub-class quests. I didn't have too much going on after the last chapter with them being forced to evacuate the City and all in the last chapter. This was actually part of one huge chapter, but it was so big that I decided to split it up because it was just that big. I didn't want to overwhelm anyone with one enormous chapter.

As always, thanks for reading!


	17. Path of a Stormcaller

Chapter 17

* * *

 **Ishtar Sink**

 **N/Gen Branch**

Tobias looked around curiously at the various devices that filled the room. It was like a command center, although it had been abandoned long ago, with lush foliage invading the room through any opening in the walls as proof that this area hadn't been in use for ages.

There was five of them in total moving together as a small unit, but there were no enemies so far.

"My radar went blank." Diana stated as she came to stop. Everyone immediately glanced at their radar, realizing that it was no longer functioning. It didn't even inform them of the whereabouts of their teammates.

"There's a lot of interference beneath us." Diana's Ghost noted. "I could be wrong, but just a forewarning…expect the rest of the display features within your helmets to shut down."

"We must be getting close to the Conductive Mind. That must be the cause of all the interference." Axel pointed out, getting a nod of agreement from the rest of the team. They continued forwards, each of them looking in a specific direction to cover all flanks in case of a surprise attack.

But everything was calm and quiet as they traveled further into the building, moving through a number of corridors and rooms before they finally spotted their first group of enemies. Vex Goblins.

They were standing guard at the exit of the room, blocking off the path that they would have to pass through. They had no choice but to engage them.

"Call out which one your taking." Diana said to them as she drew her hand cannon and lined up the sights with nearest Goblin. Everyone quickly did the same, picking out which they were going to take down before Diana gave them a count down. "Three, two, one…fire!"

None of the Goblins even had chance as they blew up, their limbs flying out in all sorts of directions as they received a hit directly to the power cores within their abdomens. All but one.

The only Goblin still standing had its head blown off which only seemed to enrage it as it began to fire the small rifle on its arm everywhere as it ran about. Diana then lined up her second shot and eliminated the remaining Goblin, silently wondering who would go for a head shot on the Vex since it was well known that taking out their power cores was the quickest means to defeat them. But it didn't take her long to realize who the culprit was.

"Were you aiming for the head Tobias?" Diana asked him.

"Yeah, and I take it that doesn't work since mine was the only one still standing." Tobias replied with a small chuckle.

"Yup, go got it. The glowing power core where their stomach should be. Aim for that. One good shot usually does the trick." Diana explained.

"When you shoot their head off, they get pissed. But it's pretty funny to watch." Axel added with a snicker.

"I hope you guys brought a lot of bullets." Dario said, gaining everyone's attention. He was already peeking into the next room which descended into an open area that was absolutely loaded with Vex.

Quietly they continued down into the last room, approaching the windows to take a look at the massive gathering of Vex. Goblins, Hobgoblins, Minotaurs filled the area, surrounding a massive Hydra that was parked at the bottom of a small hill between two towering columns.

"Wow, this is going to get ugly." Tobias said softly, earning a snort from his teammates.

"Please, there's five Warlocks here. Let's annihilate them." Rox said as her hands began to glow with a distinct purple aura.

"Aww yeah." Diana added as her hands began to glow as well. Even with their massive numbers, this was nothing a group of Voidwalkers couldn't handle.

Looking down at the Vex though, Tobias noticed that one of them turned their heads to look up at the room they were in. It's piercing red eyes seemed to scope in and out for a moment before other heads began to turn. Were they sensing the energy emanating from Diana and Rox?

The sound of heavy footsteps resounded through the room as it became flooded with countless Vex units, all of which were staring intently at the group of Warlocks that were huddled together in front of the window. All of the Vex readied their weapons in unison, giving the Guardians only a moment to react.

Diana and Rox thrusted their hands forward, pitching out a pair of Shatter Nova Bombs at the surrounding Vex, clearing away a majority of them. Dario and Axel then looked toward the window, deciding that if their presence was already known, they might as well just go all out. With a shout the two of them jumped through the window, shattering the glass as they flew out into the air above the army of Vex that surrounded the Conductive Mind.

Both of them threw down a pair of Scatter grenades onto the enemies beneath them, clearing away anything that would obstruct their landing. Together Dario and Axel pulled out their weapons and began gunning down the Vex that were completely focused on the threat to the Conductive Mind. Back up in the room above, Diana and Rox were handling the remaining Vex with ease as Tobias watched them fight.

All of them were tactless and flashy. Even Diana. He had never noticed it before. Were all Warlocks like this? Tobias shook off the thought though as he heard them laughing as they fought through the comms. They were having fun! And he wasn't going to let them have all of it.

Leaping out the window like Dario and Axel, Tobias looked down at the horde of Vex and raised his hand in respond. Void Light began to spiral around his hand which he then pitched down at the enemy. What started as a small sphere quickly grew into a swirling whirlpool that devastated the Vex that had closed up around Axel and Dario. The two of them thanked him graciously as he landed beside them.

Tobias though, eyed a tall Minotaur that approached them, raising its Torch Hammer to begin firing them. Pulling out his shotgun, Tobias rushed at the Minotaur who focused on him. But in response to approaching wave of energy blasts, Tobias Blinked, straight to the Minotaur. And Tobias could tell he caught it off guard as it jumped backward, but it was too late. He fired with his shotgun, burying a spray of pellets into the torso of the Minotaur.

The taller Vex unit slumped to the ground with a large hole through it chest while Tobias proceeded to engage the other Vex units, using Blink to escape from any situation where he found himself surrounded. Steadily they beat away at the dense population of Vex, but Diana pulled out a weapon that made quick work of the masses.

"Whoa!" Dario and Axel exclaimed as they scrambled to get out of the blast radius of Gjallarhorn. Diana was laughing from up above as she fired away with the powerful rocket launcher, wiping out the Vex forces with little effort. Quickly their numbers dwindled down until it was just the Conductive Mind that remained. The massive Hydra roared at the five Warlocks that now stood before it, their weapons ready.

"Focus fire!" Diana shouted as they all threw out their grenades, battering the Mind. They then pulled out their weapons and began to firing, pelting it with bullets that did some clear damage as a pair of limbs fell off.

"Just little more!" Dario said.

"How about a lot more!" Rox declared jump up to hurl a Nova Bomb at the Conductive Mind. The three projectiles ate away at large portions of the Mind, but it was still standing after those hits.

"Together!" Tobias called out as he summoned more Void Light, but Diana raised a hand to stop him.

"No, the core has to be intact. We can't risk vaporizing it with another Nova Bomb." She said, reminding Tobias of their current mission which he slipped out of his mind.

"Well that explains why you didn't Gjallarhorn it." Tobias noted, getting a nod from Diana.

"Just keep firing, it'll drop eventually." Diana stated. And her words proved to be true. The Mind gave one last roar before it finally came crashing down. They had successfully destroyed a Conductive Mind.

"Alright, so what do we do now?" Tobias asked they approached the remains of the Mind. It was huge, towering over them even in its current state.

"We're going to cut it open, and take out its guts." Rox proclaimed.

"Ugh, you made that sound horrible." Dario said.

"Agreed." Axel added.

"That's basically what we're doing." Rox said as she stood by her earlier statement.

"Not even." Diana said as her Ghost appeared to begin examining the Conductive Mind. "You know it goes against the Vanguard to try dissecting the Vex."

Dissecting the Vex? Tobias furrowed his brow as he looked up in thought.

 _"Tobias, I'm close."_

 _"Close to what?"_

 _"Breaking the Vex encryption. There's so much to learn about these beings."_

 _"Beings, aren't they just robots?"_

 _"No, they're not entirely mechanical. Their power cores are organic."_

 _"Really?"_

 _"That's not all. The mechanical parts of their body are dated to all sorts of times in history, but it's impossible to distinguish where or when their power cores came from."_

 _"And that means?"_

 _"This is just speculation, but it could possible that all Vex are assembled in the future, and then sent to the past to fulfill a plan or purpose of some sort. I can't really explain it, but it's incredible to think about it. There's so much more that I haven't discovered yet."_

 _Tobias remained silent as the man in front of him continued to ramble about the Vex. He knew this man. It was Osiris._

"Tobias, did you hear me?" Diana asked him, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"What?" He asked, shaking his head a bit to clear his thoughts.

"We need your Arc Blade to cut through the outer shell of the Conductive Mind." Diana's Ghost explained.

"Oh, yeah I can do that." Tobias said as he reached inside his coat to snatch one of his tanto blades. Charging Arc Light into it, the blade began to crackle as it became finer than any two edged sword.

"Cut through these points, and that should grant us access to the power core." Diana's Ghost said as it identified the areas Tobias would have to cut open. Cafefully inserting his blade, Tobias began to carve through the metal plating of the Hydra until he had successfully cut open a portion of its shell, revealing its glowing power core within.

It was a deep blue, casting a powerful light that was almost blinding.

"Whoa." Dario exclaimed as they all drew closer to peer inside. They could see the core itself that appeared to be a dense electrical storm that was completely silent.

"This is it." Axel said as he looked around at his teammates. This was what they needed to become Stormcallers. "It's now or never."

Together they extended a hand, placing it as close to the core as they could before they began to draw from the well of power. The electricity began to circle around their hands and travel up their arms, enveloping their whole bodies. Everyone except Tobias.

"Awesome." Rox said as she began to float, thrusting out both her hands to expand the electrical field that surrounded her. They were already capable of doing all of this with just the training they had received from Ikora, but understanding how the Conductive Mind drew out this power amplified their power tenfold.

 _The Storm is raw power. The Trance is true understanding._

Ikora's words echoed in their minds as they realized that they now possessed the first half of what was needed to become true Stormcallers. They just needed to understand how to wield this power to its fullest potential.

"Why isn't this working?" Tobias asked himself. He wasn't drawing any power from the core like everyone else. And he couldn't understand why. Reaching further in, trying to get even closer to the core, Tobias could almost touch it. It was just outside of his reach. Extending his hand even further, Tobias barely got the tip of his middle finger on the core.

Power surged through him for but a moment as his finger slipped off the core. Did he need physical contact with it to actually absorb it? Tobias didn't bother to question it though as he reached out again, managing to get two fingers onto it this time. He could feel the Arc energy flowing through him once again. Like the first time he had used Arc Blade. But this was to a much greater extent!

"Forget this." Tobias said as climbed into the shell of the Conductive Mind to get even closer to the core. Now that it was within arm's length, Tobias placed both his hands on the core. The power rush was incredible as he became lightheaded.

"What the?" Dario began as the Conductive Mind began to shine brightly.

"Oh my go-" Diana began as she realized what Tobias was doing. But before she could call out to them as massive surge of energy was sent out in all directions from Tobias within the Mind, blasting them all away.

"What's going on?" Rox asked as she straightened up, focusing on the Conductive Mind which had disappeared inside of a blinding light.

"Tobias is in there. I don't know what's happening to him though." Diana responded.

"There's a massive energy signature in there. It's almost in league with the energy output of the Conductive Mind!" Diana's Ghost pointed out.

"Is it coming back to life?" Dario asked, presenting a possibility they didn't even think of. Everyone readied their weapons as the light began to fade, revealing what they least expected, but they were happy to see it.

It was Tobias coated in electricity, hovering in the air. He was finally channeling Arc Light, and a ridiculous amount at that.

"Tobias, are you feeling alright?" Diana's Ghost asked him, causing him to look toward them.

"Wha?" He asked in return.

"Are you okay!?" Diana shouted at him as he lowered himself down to them, but as he drew closer they began to feel an immense pressure that was clearly coming from Tobias. He was exerting an impressive force. Beyond anything they had been capable of.

Tobias remained silent as he opened and closed his fingers, the field around him growing and shrinking in response to just these small motions. Soon enough he closed his hands up into tight fists which began to tremble as he delved into his new found power.

"This is ridiculous!" Dario shouted as he fought to remaining standing beneath the massive amount of pressure on him. Fortunately for them, the electricity surrounding Tobias shorted out, leaving him to drop to the ground in a heap. The pressure was gone and all of them had the freedom to move once again.

"What happened to him?" Axel asked as they all rushed over to him. His Ghost took shape, a bit disoriented.

"I think I have the answer to that." His Ghost began as it shook itself a bit. "All of you channeled Arc Light through the core of the Conductive Mind to gain a better understand of how to draw out natural Arc energy. Tobias though, absorbed to the core."

"Absorbed?"

"Coming into physical contact with it, he basically ate it." His Ghost stated. "Now he has an Arc source of his own and he has more Arc energy than he knows what to do with."

"So he overloaded right there?" Dario asked as he looked down Tobias who began to stir.

"Basically. It's clear that he has to complete the rest of his training as a Stormcaller to control this power." His Ghost noted.

"You got that right." Axel said with a smirk as Tobias groaned, rising up from the ground.

"Morning sunshine." Rox greeted him.

"What happened?" He asked, holding his head.

"You bit off more than you could chew." Tobias' Ghost said to him.

"What does that mean?"

"Don't worry about that. Try channeling some Arc Light again." His Ghost said, giving him a small nudge. Tobias looked at his Ghost skeptically, but the small drone motioned for him to give it a shot. With a sigh, he looked down at one of his hands, focusing on it intently. Everything became silent as Tobias took in one long breath, shutting his eyes as he tried to clear his thoughts.

The landscape of his mind was barren and empty, save for a massive sphere of electricity. The core of the Conductive Mind. Approaching the sphere, a valve formed beneath it. Tobias took a moment to examine it before he began to turn the knob on it. He could hear a faint crackle at first, but this grew to be a thunderous roar. It was almost as if dam burst as the valve began to let the Arc energy flow from the core. The amount of power was tremendous!

Tobias blinked, realizing that he was floating in the air once again, electricity and wind rolling off of him in waves.

"Cut it out Tobias!"

"Hold back just a little bit for us!"

Tobias quickly discovered that his teammates were fighting with all their might not to get blown away by the sudden wind storm that had been kicked up from around him.

"Oh, my bad guys." Tobias said as he closed the valve, cutting off the flow of Arc Light. Everyone gave a sigh of relief, amazed at the amount of power Tobias could release.

'I'm definitely sending that to Ikora.' Diana said to herself while calling for her Ghost to contact the Warlock Vanguard. They had successfully completed their mission, and were awaiting further direction.

"Yes?" Ikora said once she was connected to their fireteam channel.

"Ikora, we just took out the Conductive Mind. What do we do now?" Diana asked her.

"Excellent work Warlocks. But this is only half of your mission. In order to become a full-fledged Stormcaller, you must learn the Trance. The Nexus is close to your location. There you can open your minds and finish your journey." Ikora explained, causing the team of Warlocks to nod as they received their next assignment.

Diana then made a private channel just for herself and Ikora.

"Did you see the recording I sent you?" Diana asked.

"I'm looking at it right now." Ikora replied.

"Is that normal?"

"Not in the slightest. This raw power is what you'd expect from a Striker Titan. Did he do something differently to the rest of you?"

"His Ghost said that he absorbed the core of the Conductive Mind."

"I see. That's likely the reason for his power output. Keep a close eye on him during the meditation Diana. I want a full report about whatever happens to him from this point forward." Ikora stated, receiving a nod from Diana. "Good luck."

Their line of communication was severed as Diana turned back to the rest of her team who had been waiting for her.

"Is everyone ready?" She asked, receiving a nod from each of them.

"Lead the way." Rox said as she motioned for Diana to take charge. She was the most familiar with this area after all.

Undaunted had been the fireteam selected by Ikora to travel down to the Nexus to defeat the Sekrion Mind. It had taken them several hours to fight through the masses of Fallen and Vex that had inhabited this place at one point. But after finally breaking through their forces, Undaunted trekked through a long and dark cave that eventually opened into a cavern where they could see the blue lava that flowed down below. They were well below the surface of Venus, but they still had to travel deeper to reach the Nexus.

Diana noted that nothing had changed about their journey down to the Nexus. It was exactly as she remembered it.

"It's good to be back." Her Ghost noted, getting a snort in response from her.

The group arrived at the next portion of the cave that would take them down into the Nexus. It was dark and empty. No Vex in sight and their radars weren't detecting any kind of activity. Nothing would disturb them during their meditation.

Finally they reached a ledge where they could see the structure that had previously been the home of the Sekrion Mind. It hung from the ceiling of this massive room, with various pillars circling around the beam of light that traveled up the center of the room.

"This is it." Diana said, although this wasn't needed. All of them could tell that this was the place they were looking for. It was just oozing with natural energy that had previously been fueling the Sekrion Mind.

This would provide them with all the energy they would need to learn how to tame the Storm.

All of them were silent as they jumped down to the bottom of the room, landing softly. Each of them picked out a spot where they sensed that flow of energy was at its strongest, selecting that as their spot to meditate.

"This spot looks good." Tobais said to himself as he found a nice flat area off to the side of the room. The wall in front of him was steep, with blue lava flowing down it slowly. It looked marvelous. Taking a seat, Tobias crossed his legs in front of him before looking around in search of his teammates.

The only other person he could see was Axel was who was perched on top of a column, already wrapped up in his thoughts. Tobias sighed quietly as he focused on himself, recalling what Ikora had told him to do while they were aboard the flagship.

There was energy everywhere. He just had to harness it to create Arc Light with it.

Taking in a deep breath, Tobias enhanced his senses trying to get a feel for the energy Ikora had been speaking about. He couldn't see it, or hear it. He definitely couldn't smell it and he wasn't quite sure if he wanted to taste Arc energy. And he didn't feel anything either.

He couldn't feel the energy that he was supposed to draw out. It wasn't any different, even with the core of the Conductive Mind within him. How was he supposed to harness Arc energy like this? Was he doing something wrong?

Tobias looked up in thought, trying to recall what he had done just a few minutes ago. He had done something differently. He didn't draw any power from his surroundings. The energy he had called upon before was from within in him. Emptying out his thoughts once again, Tobias found himself in a barren landscape once again, nothing noteworthy in sight.

But he could hear the crackle of electricity. Looking up, he spotted the core of the Conductive Mind, and the valve he had seen earlier began to extend from the base of the core to him. Stopping directly in front of it, a faucet formed on it that was currently shut.

So this was how it worked. The core was his source of Arc energy. This was all he needed. Opening the valve, Tobias could feel the sudden outpouring of power, coursing through his entire body. It was incredible!

It was…too much! A windstorm was whipped up around him, rapidly expanding in size as it rose to surround both him and the core. He could feel he ground beneath him disappear as he was lifted into the air. He was in the center of the storm, the eye of the tornado, but he could feel a pull that was dragging him out to the raging winds. He would get shredded to pieces there!

What was going on?! Tobias looked around frantically before spotting the pipes to the faucet he had opened. Latching onto that to stop himself from getting pulled away into the winds, Tobias sighed with relief that he would be safe for the time being. But that relief quickly faded as winds became even stronger, causing the pipes to shake violently. They creaked loudly as Tobias fought to maintain his grip, but it was like someone was doing everything they could to rip him off the pipe.

The pipe above Tobias finally snapped, and he was dragged away into the winds that rampaged about, throwing him around. What was happening?!

 _"To become a true Stormcaller, you must first possess the destructive force of the Storm, and then understand how to tame it power and bend it to your will."_

So this was the immense power he was wanted to wield…

Tobias extended a hand toward the core, amazed at the vast power within it. He had to learn how to use it. But he was swallowed up by the winds.

* * *

 _Tobias…_

There was a whisper.

 _Tobias…_

There it was again. Tobias opened his eyes, blinking furiously to clear his vision. Where was he?

Thick foliage was everywhere, it was blazing hot and pouring rain. He was back on Venus' surface. How did he get back up here? Straightening up, Tobias looked around curiously before noticing that someone else was with him. A female with a mechanical face. An Exo. She stood quietly, admiring the vivid landscape of Venus.

"Hello?" He said as he rose up to his feet.

"Ah, you've awakened Tobias." She began, turning to face him. Tobias raised an eyebrow at this.

"How do you know me?"

"I'm a close associate of Osiris. One of his Disciples actually." She replied, much to his surprise. "I was instructed to contact you while we still had an opportunity."

"For what?"

"In the future, a great Catastrophe takes place that brings an end to you and the Light." She explained. It took a moment for Tobias to digest this information.

"Hold on, this is a lot to take in." Tobias said as he needed a moment to process all of this. "You're saying I get killed in the future?"

"Not exactly, but its why I'm speaking to you now. I was given the task of ensuring that future doesn't take place, at any means necessary." She continued.

"So you came to warn me? Who killed me, what do I have to do to stop them?" Tobias asked quickly, gushing the words out. There was so many thoughts running through his head now. Who was his killer? What happened to everyone when the Light was defeated? Was it even possible to avoid this future?

"I can't tell you too much Tobias. We'll run the risk of creating an entirely new timeline. But I can tell you this. Your greatest opponent waits for you in the Earth's Moon."

"You mean Oryx?" Tobias inquired, thinking about the massive Dreadnaught that had been hovering beside the Moon.

"No, someone greater. You'll meet him soon, and he will test you more than anyone else. I want you to prepare for him as best you can." She said, leaving Tobias a bit dumbfounded.

Someone that was greater than Oryx? That would test him more than anyone else. Tobias felt…eager. He wanted to fight. He couldn't wait to fight.

"Alright. And if I beat this guy, everything will work out right?" He asked the Exo.

"That remains to be determined." She replied. "But it seems as though your comrades are completing their meditation now, are you ready to return to them?"

"Yeah but, where am I?" Tobias asked.

"Don't worry about that. There's much for you to do Tobias. I hope that the next time we meet isn't under the dire circumstances that were present when we first met." She stated before raising a hand a placing it on his chest. Tobias felt a sudden gust of wind blow through the area, tearing away his surroundings. The Exo then faded away as well, leaving him alone in an empty plain.

* * *

"What happened to Tobias?" Diana asked as she approached the three Warlocks that had gathered together around Tobias who was lying on the ground, unconscious.

"After I completed my meditation I found him like this." Axel explained as Diana kneeled down beside him.

"His Ghost isn't responding and neither is he." Rox added.

"Is he breathing? Did anyone check his vitals?" Diana demanded, receiving a nod from Axel.

"Everything about him checks out. He's alive and well, just unresponsive." Axel replied.

"And it's odd that his Ghost isn't responding." Dario pointed out.

"That's why I'm nervous." Rox stated.

"What should we do?" Dario asked as he looked around at the group.

"Should we, give him a jump start?" Axel suggested, earning a look of confusion from everyone.

"What do you mean?" Diana inquired.

"I was just thinking a quick zap might wake him up if you know what I mean." Axel said as he raised a hand. Gathering some Arc Light in it, his hand began to spark with electricity as they all realized what he was implying.

"Anything's worth a shot." Dario said with a nod.

"If this doesn't work, I wanna try." Rox said with a grin.

Axel gave everyone one last look before he focused on Tobias, extending his hand toward him. Placing his hand on Tobias' chest, Tobias was immediately raised into the air by the sudden surge of electricity. And he woke up screaming.

"What the hell was that?!" He shouted after being dropped to the floor.

"My bad, that was a lot more than I intended to shock you with." Axel replied with a bit of chuckle.

"What happened to you Tobias?" Diana asked him as they all eagerly waited to find out what happened.

"I'm not really sure. There was all the wind, a tornado actually, and I was sucked up into it. It threw me around for a while and I couldn't really breathe in there until I passed out. The rest is just blank." He explained, shaking his head.

"Wait a second, you didn't tame the winds?" Rox asked him.

"I had no idea how I was going to do that. I was overwhelmed." Tobais shot back.

"Shoot, that mean you failed the meditation."

"I failed?" Tobias asked as he looked around at the others. "Does that mean I can't become a Stormcaller?"

* * *

A/N

And Tobias' journey to become a Stormcaller hits a rough patch, but I'm sure he'll pull through. And he had his first encounter with the elusive Exo Stranger from Vanilla Destiny.

I've read all sorts of theories surrounding the Exo Stranger, my favorite being that she is supposedly from a future where a catastrophe took place. The small excerpt on the Stranger's Rifles says that its composed of parts that don't exist yet, implying that she's from the future. I'd imagine she'd only come to the past to alter something to avoid the future that she witnessed, perhaps under the direction of Osiris. Hmm...the possibilities :)

I doubt either Osiris or the Exo Stranger will make an appearance in RoI, but really hope we start to explore them more in the future. Osiris especially since I'm going to be using him heavily later on.

In other news, I have some free time coming up this month, so I fully plan to update this regularly for most of August. Hopefully at least one update per week is what I'm aiming for. Let's see where this goes.

As always guys, thanks for the reading and all the support. 48 days until the launch of Rise of Iron! :D


	18. The Weight on Their Shoulders

**Chapter 18**

* * *

 **Flagship**

 **Bridge**

The fireteam of Warlocks that Diana and Tobias were temporarily members of now stood before the Warlock Vanguard herself. They all stood up straight, remaining silent as Ikora quietly observing them for several moments. All but one of these Warlocks were eager to demonstrate the results of their mission into the Nexus.

"So who would like to go first?" Ikora asked them, and Axel immediately separated himself from the lineup, a smirk on his mechanical face.

Summoning Arc Light, Axel raised on his hands to look at it as sparks of electricity began to crackle from his palm. Closing his hand into a fist, his entire hand became engulfed in a blue electrical field that quickly expanded to surround his body. Now thrusting both his hands downward, Axel began to levitate as he spun around, showing off his successful activation of Stormtrance.

"Excellent work Warlock." Ikora stated, a smile of pride on her face as she gave him a nod of approval.

The others went on to demonstrate that they could do the same, all of them earning a comment of praise before Ikora. But when they arrived at Tobias, Ikora dismissed everyone else so that she could speak with him privately.

"I had a feeling it would come to this." Ikora stated now, breaking the silence in the room,

"What? Do you mean you knew I couldn't become a Stormcaller?" Tobias inquired.

"Well, I knew you couldn't become one through one meditation." Ikora clarified.

"But why was everyone else able to?"

"It's quite simple actually. None of the other Warlocks contain a source of kinetic energy within them." Ikora explained. "According to the reports both Briggs-6 and Niko left for you, your ability to channel Arc Light is rather…poor."

Tobias shrunk a bit, recalling his training with his two teammates in the past. He still hadn't gotten much better at channeling larger quantities Arc Light, and once again his inability to do so was rearing its little head.

"As I said, you now have a source of kinetic energy within you, the core of the Conductive Mind." Ikora pointed out to him. "Everyone else only needed to learn how to draw out Arc Light from their surroundings in order to use it. You on the other hand, now have Arc Light at your beck and call from the core you possess. What you need to learn however, is how to restrain the flow of energy from the core to stop the overloads I'm sure you've been experiencing."

"Restraint? Why would I need to learn restraint for though?" Tobias asked her.

"Remember, a Conductive Mind powers thousands of Vex units at a time. The type of power you could unleash at once from this core…" Ikora trailed off.

She wasn't really sure what would happen if Tobias didn't restrain himself when drawing out Arc Light from the core.

"There's so much I'd like to understand about you Tobias, but right now we have more important matters to settle. Such as the Hive God that has taken our home from us." Ikora said as she refocused their discussion. "It seems very likely that you and Undaunted will be tasked with killing Oryx, so it's imperative that you become stronger before we return to Earth."

"There's no need to tell me that." Tobias stated, his expression becoming stern. "Oryx has taken more from me than you know. I want nothing more than to make sure he can never take anything from anyone again."

"Whatever Oryx has done to you, channel that anger into strength. You'll need everything you can get to defeat this monster." Ikora stated. "For now though, you and I will meditate together so that you can understand how to put the core of the Conductive Mind to use."

* * *

"So what's the plan?" Tobias asked as the two of them stood in one of the vacant hanger bays.

"In order to figure out what we're working with, I want you to replicate what you did on Venus. You have to understand what to do with this energy source within you if you're going to be able to use it properly." Ikora explained to him.

"So…just do what I did on Venus." Tobias repeated, nodding his head. "I can do that."

Taking a few steps away from Ikora, Tobias placed himself at the center of the hanger and took a deep breath. He then shut his eyes, envisioning the core of the Conductive Mind once again, and he found himself standing in front of it. It sparked and sputtered above him as he looked at it, so Tobias raised a hand toward it, drawing out the power it contained.

Ikora took a step back, astonished as Tobias gained a blue electrical field, just like the other Warlocks. But it quickly began to expand in size, blinding her as it became too bright for her to even look at. A gust of wind blew out from Tobias, sweeping Ikora off her feet and throwing her against the wall of the room as the whole room was drowned in the light from him. After a few moments though, it died down as Tobias crumbled to the ground, which allowed Ikora to give a sigh of relief as she slid down to her feet.

But upon touching the floor, she stumbled to her left as the whole ship seemed to turn sideways.

"Switch to auxiliary power!" She heard Zavala bark over the comms.

"It's going be at least a few minutes Commander." One of the operators replied. "Most of the ship's systems have gone offline."

"Did something hit us?" Zavala inquired.

"Can't be, nothing was coming up on our sensors."

"All Guardians, take precautionary actions. Report to the nearest hanger bay and expect opposition." Zavala declared.

" _That_ , will be unnecessary!" Ikora barked over the comms before panic could spread across the entire flag ship. "Guardians, there are no enemies. It was one of our own that is responsible for this power outage. He meant no harm by it."

Glancing at Tobias who laid unconscious on the ground, Ikora couldn't help but marvel at the fearsome power contained with the core of the Conductive Mind. He knocked out the power across the entire ship. But with such power, she was certain that Tobias would be able to topple over the Taken King.

Tobias had no idea he would be in for the most grueling four weeks of his life training alongside Ikora. The Warlock Vanguard was no stranger to hard work, and she made certain that Tobias adopted this same mentality. Being physically tired was one thing. But mental exhaustion was a whole different animal. Trying to tame the Storm within him was more tiring than any of the sessions he had-had with Briggs, not to mention Ikora slave driver!

For hours on end, she had Tobias traverse his mindscape, studying the core of the Conductive Mind intently as he experimented with the flow of energy from it. It was like learning how to drive a car. He had to learn the limits of what he could do. And it took a lot of willpower to try time and again to control the Storm. This task had become far greater than he had imagined, but Tobias was up for the challenge.

Ikora did give him many opportunities to rest, but this times wasn't wasted either. She used this as a chance to further Tobias' knowledge as a Voidwalker. She taught him various ways on how to shape the Void Light. Diana had already taught him this, but after watching Ikora it became evident that every Voidwalker had their own style in the way they shaped and used Void Light. It was like their own signature.

And after a full month of meditation with Ikora, Tobias finally had a breakthrough.

"I…fixed it." Tobias stated suddenly, gaining the attention of Ikora who sat alongside him. Exhaling, the Void Light that had been circling around her dissipated, allowing her to take note of the smile on Tobias' face.

It had taken some time, a long time in fact, but he had found and addressed the source of his problem. The reason the power from the core was so uncontrolled, was that he had broken the pipeline that controlled the flow. There was a valve he had opened the very first time he tried to access the core, but he had opened it all the way and the whole pipe shattered. Ikora explained to him that he would have to repair this pipeline, and in doing so, it would give him greater control over the Arc Light he would be summoning.

Finding the pieces of the pipeline around his mindscape, Tobias repaired it completely, and smiled with pride at his accomplishment. But now the final test remained.

"Excellent. Now that you have a measure of control, try and enter Stormtrance again." She stated, eager to see if his hard work was finally coming to fruition.

Rising to his feet, Tobias took a moment to find his balance. He felt drained now, but there was a small smile of satisfaction on his face. He might actually be able to become a Stormcaller now.

"Here we go." He said, closing his eyes once again. Returning to the core of the Conductive Mind within him, Tobias looked up at the pipeline that he had restored; glad to see that it had remained. All of his effort had paid off. Approaching the value that hung just above the ground, Tobias began to turn it. He only opened it about halfway, but the sudden rush of Arc Light was incredible.

The winds roared to life around him, just like the first time he had attempted this back on Venus. But this time they moved at his command. Raising his arms, the tempest began to close up around him, being gathered into his open hands. Taking control of the Storm, his hands became blue as they began to crackle with electricity that soon covered his whole body. Tobias looked down at his hands, inspecting the blue energy sparkled around them. Then he took another breath, returning to Ikora now.

Opening his eyes, Tobias found himself hovering above the floor. He was floating, bathing the room in a brilliant blue light.

"Superb." Ikora noted as she circled around him. "I think it's clear that all of your meditation has paid off."

Tobias grinned in response, before he rose higher into the air. He was eager to begin experimenting with Arc Light. He had never been able to use it in such a manner. Arc Blade confined this power into the weapon he was using. But with Stormtrance, he was using Arc Light as a weapon of his imagination. Thrusting out his arms, the electricity began to extend from Tobias' hands, dancing around him as he spun.

Ikora raised her eyebrows at this. All of the destructive potential of a Striker, was being wielded like a scalpel through his training as a Bladedancer. The training Tobias had done since his arrival at the Tower was showing. He was going to be a truly amazing Guardian.

But suddenly, the Arc Light around Tobias disappeared, along with his ability to levitate which sent him plummeting to the floor. Hitting the floor with a hard thud, Ikora winced at the impact, but Tobias didn't seem to be bothered by it as he rose up immediately.

"What the heck?" Tobias said as rubbed the back of his neck. He couldn't summon any Arc Light from the core.

"What's the matter?" Ikora asked him curiously.

"The core…turned black." He replied. "I think it's empty."

Empty?

Ikora placed her thumb against her chin, drifting into deep thought now. The Conductive Mind recharged Vex units across the system, but obviously they didn't develop this power naturally. The reports she had read about them stated that they gathered at electrical storms on Mars. This was likely the place that they recharged their cores to continue supplying power to the Vex.

And this probably meant that Tobias would have to do the same.

"Are you serious?" Tobias exclaimed after Ikora shared her thoughts with him.

"You can't draw out any more power from it, can you?" She asked him in return. Tobias frowned a bit.

"Nope." He said, shaking his head. "So I can't be a Stormcaller if the Core is empty?"

"That seems to be the case."

"And to recharge it, I have to go to Mars?"

"It's the only location we have access to that these electrical storms take place. And with the Dreadnaught lying in our path to Mars, I highly doubt you'll be able to go there for the time being." Ikora explained to him, earning a deep sigh from Tobias.

"Crap." Tobias muttered as this information sunk in. He had been working tirelessly to become a Stormcaller, but after all of this, he would have to make this power an afterthought now that he couldn't use it.

And not only that, but Zavala had recently left with the Titans to head down to Mercury to undertake the trial to become Sunbreakers. All of his new avenues were becoming dead ends.

"So what do I do now?" Tobias asked himself softly. It had been almost a month since he had last practiced with Carmen, but going back to the basics with her was likely the only option he had at this point.

"I wouldn't think to hard Tobias. All ends are beginnings." Ikora stated as she motioned to the entrance of the hanger they were in. A pair of Hunters stood there, Niko and Carmen.

Getting back on his feet, Tobias gave them a wave as they joined him and Ikora.

"Long time no see guys." Tobias said to them.

"Yeah, it's been a while hasn't it." Niko noted as he and Tobias bumped fists as a greeting. He couldn't help but look down at Carmen though was practically shaking as she looked up at Niko expectantly.

"What brings you down here?" Tobias asked as he returned his gaze to Niko.

"Well I actually I just finished my-" Niko began, but Carmen interrupted him.

"Niko is officially a Nightstalker, and Cayde gave anyone who completed the training permission to share the sub-class with anyone they want to." Carmen exclaimed before motioning to herself and Tobias. "And that means us!"

Tobias snorted at Carmen's energy, glad that she was so excited about this.

"Awesome, what's it like being a Nightstalker?" Tobias asked.

"It's freakin' awesome." Niko replied, giving him a grin. "I'm telling you man, you're going to love it."

"So what are we waiting for then, let's get started." Carmen hollered now that they had gotten Tobias on board for the training as well.

"We're heading up to one of the hanger bays on the upper deck." Niko said his Ghost shared the location with Tobias' Ghost. "You can meet us there since that munchkin over there is going to blow a fuse if I make her wait any longer."

"What'd you call me?!" Carmen exclaimed, causing Tobias to stifle a laugh.

"Yeah, I'll be there soon." Tobias stated, waving to them as they left.

Now that the pair of Hunters had left them, Tobias turned back to Ikora who raised her brow at him.

"So that's it, my training is just over?" He asked, raising his shoulders.

"As a Stormcaller, perhaps." She replied. "But you're training as a Guardian will always go on."

Tobias gave a nod of agreement.

"Yeah, I suppose. Thanks for putting up with me." He said, giving her a two fingered salute before heading out as well. Ikora was right, his training would continue indefinitely, and boy did he have a lot to do.

 **Upper Deck**

 **Hanger Bay**

"Holy crap." Carmen said softly as she and Tobias stared at Niko in awe. The tall Hunter stood proudly with a smirk on his face, arms outstretched as he looked at them.

"I take it you guys like what you saw." Niko said to them.

"That bow and arrow thing is awesome!" Carmen shouted as she mimicked what Niko had done when using the Shadowshot.

"No way, the shadow step thing is where it's at!" Tobias exclaimed as the two of them went back and forth for a few moments.

"Teach me _everything_!" Carmen barked at Niko, eager to begin.

"Geez, I'm going to. Just chill out a bit." Niko said, motioning for her to tone it down just a bit. "So here's the first thing you'll want to know."

Niko raised one hand, showing them his empty palm. Then he closed his hand, and for a brief moment they could see a flash of purple light shine through the openings between his fingers. He opened up his hand once again, showing them a small orb that seemed to be filled with a green smoke. Skillfully he tossed it up, and positioned his index finger for it to land perfectly on the tip of his nail.

"This is your new best friend, the smoke bomb." Niko begin with a grin. "There are two types that you can use. One is used to trap your enemies; the other is an escape method. All you to do is-"

Niko threw the small orb at Carmen and Tobias which erupted when it hit the floor, releasing a large cloud of dark green gas. A moment passed before the two of them burst out from the smoke, coughing, hacking and cursing at Niko who laughed.

"Pretty cool, right?" Niko asked, receiving a glare from the two of them.

"Pretty cool my ass!" Carmen shouted as she whipped out one of her throwing knives from the holster on her bicep. But in response, Niko summoned a second smoke bomb which he threw at his own feet. A plume of white smoke rose from the floor concealing Niko from sight, but once it cleared away, he was gone.

"Whoa, where'd he go?" Tobias asked as they looked around the room for their instructor. There wasn't even a trace of Niko. Feeling something tap his shoulder, Tobias whirled around quickly to discover that now Niko stood behind, wearing a grin that stretched from ear to ear.

"What do you think of that one?" He asked them. "The second various I talked about, grants you invisibility for a short period of time. Look how easy it was for me to sneak up on you guys."

"Oh man, this just keeps getting better." Tobias said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. This sub-class just kept getting better, and Tobias was going to master this one and put it to use.

* * *

"Wow Tobias, I'm honestly pretty impressed." Niko said to Tobias who lowered the purple bow he held, admiring the small vortex that had been left behind from using Shadowshot.

Niko could recall when he had first started training Tobias that Diana had mentioned that he was natural at using Void Light. And it showed with the quick progress he made understanding the Nightstalker sub-class. What had taken Hunters under Cayde's tutelage two months to learn, Tobias understood in days.

"This crap is stupid!" Carmen shouted as she threw her bow to the ground and kicked it away.

Like most of the other Hunters, Carmen didn't have a natural affinity to Void Light. It was something she had never used before, and she struggled to use it. She was accustomed to empowering her weapons with Arc or Solar Light. But to use the Shadowshot, she had to create a bow entirely of Void Light, as well as the arrows she would be shooting. It was a lot to get the hang of, and watching Tobias make quick work of it only added to her frustration.

"Carmen, do you want a hand?" Tobias offered her. Carmen raised one hand, summoning a new bow before she glanced at Tobias.

"No." She stated sternly, determined to get a handle on this by herself. Tobias raised his eyebrows at this before looking back at Niko who motioned for him to leave her alone. Carmen was still very young, full of pride, and a Hunter. It was no surprise that she didn't want anyone's help.

"So I heard we're just a few days out from the Reef." Tobias said to Niko as he positioned himself beside his instructor as the two of them watched Carmen practice at the center of the hanger.

"Man, I hope we get another audience with the Queen." Niko said, looking up as he recalled the image of Mara Sov. Tobias rolled his eyes in response.

"Has the Vanguard come up with a plan to fight Oryx?" Tobias asked. Ikora had told him that he and fireteam Undaunted would likely be the ones to be tasked with killing Oryx. The question was how they were going to pull off such a feat?

"I haven't heard anything yet, but I'm sure the Vanguard is working on something. We just have to keep doing what we're going. Sharpen our skills, so that the next time we have to rumble, we'll hit Oryx so hard he won't know what hit him." Niko said, giving Tobias a grin which he returned.

 **Asteroid Belt**

 **The Reef**

 **10 Hygiea**

The journey to the Reef took four months. Four long months, but the all of the remainder Guardians and their Traveler had finally arrived at their destination.

The domain of the Awoken was now their home since the Earth had been lost to Oryx. But even though they had been accepted into the home of the Awoken, mankind wasn't received with open arms. They were outsiders after all, desperate for a haven.

The asteroid 10 Hygiea had been hollowed out by the Awoken long ago, and converted into an enormous settlement for their people. But under the direction of the Queen, all of the people living here were to find residence elsewhere in the Reef for them to accommodate the humans. There was ample space for everyone, but there was so much for them to get used to. The rations they had brought with them from Earth were almost done, and unlike Earth, there wasn't an endless amount of land to grow crops.

It was much colder out here as well considering their new distance from the sun, not that they could see it living in an asteroid. And artificial light didn't feel the same as sunlight.

But as difficult as it might have been to adapt, this didn't stop mankind from working. They had to make the best of their current situation, quietly hoping that one day in the near future, they would be able to return to their home planet.

 **4 Vesta**

 **Vestian Web**

 **Palace**

Mara Sov was seated on her throne, one leg crossed over the other as she observed a gathering that she never would've imagined taking place before her. The Guardians and the Awoken were working together no in face of a threat greater than anything this part of the galaxy had ever seen.

Leaning back, Mara looked down her nose at the Guardians as the Paladins led them up to the base of her throne. She immediately recognized the only woman among them, Ikora Rey, respected by her peers and feared on the battlefield. Then she looked toward the Awoken man that stood at the front of the group. Commander Zavala. While she didn't show it, she was pleased to see her people rising up in position outside of the Reef.

Then her gaze settled on the Speaker. He was certainly a mysterious man. None of their spies in the Last City had seen his face, or even knew his name. Mara wasn't quite sure what to think of this man, but his presence was somewhat disturbing. It didn't feel the same as the Guardians, yet it was just as powerful. She couldn't really explain it, but something felt off about that man.

The two remaining members of the group, Cayde and Eris, Mara didn't have a chance to study as her attention was drawn to Ikora.

"Your Grace." Ikroa said as stepped forward along with Eris, bowing respectfully to the Queen. Zavala and the Speaker also addressed her, kneeling down as well. But when it was Cayde's turn, the Hunter Vanguard took a hold of the edges of his cloak as though it were a dress and curtseyed before the Queen. Uldren wrinkled his nose upon seeing this.

"You will address the Queen with proper respect." Uldren sneered at Cayde who smirked at him with response. "You should be grateful that she accepted you into our realm."

"I seem to remember there being a deal in place between us." Cayde pointed out as he motioned to both parties that were present. " _We_ , the ever so heroic Guardians, protect _you,_ from Oryx. And _we_ , get to live on one of your fancy space rocks."

"Rocks?!" Uldren hissed at Cayde's comment, beginning to step down from his spot beside the throne. "Each of these _rocks_ is a utopia!"

"Yeah, sure, whatever puts a smile on your face." Cayde replied off handily as he stepped over to Zavala. "Although, it doesn't look like much would do that, am I right Zavala?"

Zavala in turn, stared at him in a deadpan.

"Brother, enough." Mara stated as Uldren had taken another step toward Cayde, closing any distance between them as he glared holes into the Hunter. Uldren's hand was on the sidearm that was strapped to his waist, and he was clearly tempted to put it to use.

"Cayde, we have more pressing matters to attend to." Zavala added, motioning for him to set things straight with Uldren. Cayde turned back to Uldren now, tilting his head a bit. Cayde raised a hand, and slapped the shoulder of the prince, causing Uldren to inhale sharply, his glare darkening. But Cayde then stepped back, motioning for him to return to his position beside Mara.

"Right. Our biggest concern being, what can we do to defeat Oryx?" Ikora said, addressing the issue at hand. "During our journey here, we discussed quite a few plans, but all of them lead down a path of uncertainty. We need something full proof."

"What had you considered so far?" Mara inquired as she straightened up in her seat, becoming invested in the discussion.

"Through my studies of Toland's notes from the World's Grave, I found a recording of an event when Oryx was defeated by the Traveler's Light." Eris explained to them. "Our goal is to replicate that, but deliver the killing blow to Oryx this time."

"And how do you know that this is possible?" Uldren asked her, folding his arms in front of her.

"We don't." Ikora revealed to them. "According to Eris, the Traveler is incapable of doing this for us due to the Hive being in possession of a shard of it, and they are also using it to drain the Traveler of its power. So until this issue is addressed, our only plan is still a dead end."

"So this is what you intend to gamble on? Your broken god?" Uldren asked them.

"Do you have a problem with that?" Cayde asked in return, giving him a narrow stare. Uldren remained silent for a few moments, closing his eyes as he stifled a laugh. Then he looked at them all with a straight face.

"We had a feeling you would turn to your Traveler. Our libraries said you would." Uldren stated, surprising them.

"How did you…come to that?" Ikora asked as Uldren once again came down from beside his sister, walking through the group of the Guardians.

"We have a bit of information that I'm sure you all would like to see." Uldren said as he invited them to follow him.

 **Origin Libraries**

The massive Awoken archive was truly and incredible sight to behold. There were various sections, each of them dedicated to a variety of subjects, but at the central area of the library was a tall chamber which was recognized by the public for its thorough history of the Awoken, from their conception during the Collapse, to the Guardians most recent success against the House of Wolves. Everything was there.

But at the center of the chamber was an elevator that was always under the watch of a pair of Paladins. Only those with the proper clearance could use this elevator which connected to the small room where everything that Osiris had recorded was held. His teachings, his discoveries, his thoughts and opinions. It was a wealth of information and knowledge.

Stepping out from the elevator, the group that had gathered before Queen Mara Sov with the exception of Cayde, now stood in the dimly lit room, the only light source being the information hub at the against the wall of the room. Glancing around, the Guardians quickly took note that on each of the walls, the symbol of an open eye had been etched into them. The same symbol that had been on Vance's garments.

"Osiris' followers created this to retain what he had discovered after he disappeared." Uldren explained to them as he guided them over to the hub that functioned as a database for everything in the room.

The Speaker felt rather unsettled knowing that, in order to defeat Oryx, the Vanguard was turning to Osiris. Even though they weren't contacting this Warlock directly, relying on information that Osiris had gathered still made him feel uneasy. There was a reason Osiris had been exiled.

"Oh man, just when I thought this place couldn't get any cooler!" A loud voice exclaimed, causing the group to glance back at the only entrance to the room. Stepping out from the elevator was the members of fireteam Undaunted, though they lacked Tobias, but in his place was Cayde.

"Who called them?" Uldren inquired as he studied the three Guardians that approached them.

"Well considering these guys are likely going to be the ones to get all the big missions that are coming up, I figured it'd be a good idea for them to get familiar with all of this stuff too." Cayde explained, scratching the back of his neck.

"I didn't give them clearance." Uldren noted. The Paladins above wouldn't have allowed any of them to enter this sanctum without authorization.

"Oh right, you can have this back now." Cayde said as pulled out the badge that was shaped like the sigil of the Awoken Royal Guard. Uldren quickly raised a hand to his shoulder, searching for his badge that was always pinned to his shoulder pad. That badge granted him full access to any area within the Reef, although with his status as the Awoken Prince, he would've been allowed to go wherever he pleased.

"When did you?" Uldren began, but Cayde raised a finger to silence him.

"A good Hunter never reveals his tricks." Cayde responded, causing Uldren to bite down on his lower lip. He then snatched his badge from Cayde and returned it to its usual location.

"Where is Tobias?" Ikora asked as they all stood together now.

"He had some, private, business to attend to." Niko explained with a small chuckle. "He won't be joining us."

"Private business my ass." Carmen muttered, aware of what Tobias was actually up to. Diana gave her a nudge with her elbow and a shush, causing Ikora to raise an eyebrow. What could possibly be more important than the threat of Oryx?

"Alright Guardians, here is the first entry from Osiris regarding Oryx and the Hive." Uldren said out loud, gaining everyone's attention. "According to the date, this passage was about his findings on the arrival of the Hive."

The hub began to project a hologram of nothing but a flat line, but it became crooked and pointy as Osiris cleared his throat, moving in response to his voice.

 _"There is much about the Darkness that we don't understand, such as, what is truly the Darkness?" Osiris began. "The Fallen never struck me as a truly evil force, but they have been the prevalent force on the Earth since the Collapse. But now, I believe that we have really had our first encounter with the Darkness."_

Everyone was completely silent now, waiting as the recording continued.

 _"These creatures that have been referred to as the Hive. The malice you can feel emanating from them, it's not the same presence you feel from the Fallen. You can truly feel the Darkness within these beings…it smothers your Light." Osiris went on. "And when they invaded Earth, we quickly realized that these were indeed a true threat to our survival. Their first attack has become recognized as the Battle of Burning Lake, where we did prevail over them. But the Consensus has given out an order for the Guardians to carry out a counterattack against, to squash whatever forces they have on the Moon. However, this is an enemy that we have never encountered in our history following the establishment of the Last City."_

Ikora gave a small nod of agreement. Any and every Warlock knew that in order defeat an enemy, possessing an understanding of them would give you a vital advantage. This was one of the most basic, and widely taught tactics among Warlocks.

The recording came to an end, but the hub quickly located the next entry to follow up from where Osiris had left off.

 _"It took a great effort on my part to delay the counterattack that the Consensus had ordered. Fortunately, I had others who agreed with me, such as Shaxx. If not for their assistance, I wouldn't have had an opportunity to come to the Moon. I've been up here for roughly three weeks now, and once again, I wasn't the only one who thought it would be a good idea to research the Hive." Osiris explained to them. "Toland has been here since we first encountered the Hive on Earth. He traced them up to Earth's Moon, and has been following them closely ever since. Together now, we've been studying them and sharing our findings. What we've found though, could be the end of the Light."_

The Guardians seemed to lean forward a bit, anxious to hear where this was going.

 _"The Hive have been preparing an invasion force to lay waste to the Earth. The Battle of Burning Lake wasn't even a fraction of what they've been preparing on the Moon. But that is just the beginning. One of their gods is among them on the Moon."_

"That has to Crota." Ikora suggested, getting a nod from Zavala. Both of them could recall that the Guardians effort to eliminate the Hive on the Moon had been stomped out by Crota, going down in the history books as the Great Disaster. The Moon had been declared off limits after this event.

 _"I must admit that Toland is a very brave man. He has fearlessly ventured down in their necropolis beneath the surface numerous times to study the Hive Arcana. Through his studies, he has confirmed for me that the god among them is one of their Big Three that rests at the top of their hierarchy. This one is known as Oryx."_

"Oryx?" Zavala said as he looked toward Ikora. "We didn't have any recordings of Oryx's presence within the Moon."

Ikora shushed the Titan Vanguard though. She didn't want to miss anything from this point forward.

 _"If I had to be honest, initially I wasn't sure what to do to fight such a foe. We had prevailed against the foot soldiers of the Hive, but what could we do in the face of one of their gods?" Osiris asked himself. "But one of my close associates, a special Guardian that goes by the name of Tobias, rid me of my sense of despair. He shared with me that he had been alive during the Collapse, and that he had been there to witness the Traveler unleash a power that forced Oryx to retreat. There is a way to defeat Oryx."_

The Speaker remained silent at this, recalling Tobias' close association with Osiris. He always had a feeling that Osiris was responsible for Tobias' disappearance.

 _"Tobias even requested that he be the one to face Oryx. I wouldn't dear put such a task on a single person, but Tobias is different from other Guardians. He possesses the Radiant Light, or you could say that he contains the source of the Light. His body is a Vessel for the Light, similar to the role the Traveler previously had." Osiris explained. "The power Tobias' holds, is unimaginable. He has yet to truly delve into himself, but he seems to be certain that he can replicate what the Traveler had done to Oryx. But…the Light fluctuates around him…almost as if it's being drained from him. I fear that this could ultimately sway the outcome of his upcoming battle with Oryx."_

This entry ended, and a new one opened up, and everyone could hear a noticeable difference if Osiris' tone. He was distraught. Something must have happened.

 _"It has been nearly two weeks since Tobias journeyed into the Moon, and not a soul has heard from him since. Toland has been able to confirm that Tobias did fight Oryx, to a standstill in fact. He dealt a great blow to Oryx that forced him to flee. I feel as though, this would have been his absolute victory if not for the hindrance he carries. Tobias' whereabouts are still unknown, and I now know that Oryx will return one day. He was defeated not once, but twice by the Light. He will return with a vengeance."_

This recording came to an end, and there wasn't any to follow, allowing the Guardians to sort through this information.

"So Ikora, what do you gather from this?" The Speaker asked, causing all eyes to turn to the Warlock Vanguard. Ikora took a moment to return the Speaker's gaze as she folded her arms in front of her chest, deep in though.

"It seems as though, our hope lies with Tobias." She stated.

"How do you figure that?" Carmen asked.

"If what Osiris said is true, the super weapon that we envisioned the Traveler using, is now resting within Tobias." Ikora explained to them. "Tobias tried to replicate, and it seems as though he found some success since he did force Oryx to retreat."

"I've seen Tobias in combat myself. I understand that he has a special role among the Guardians, but he has yet to do anything that would make me believe he could take down Oryx." Uldren commented.

"Osiris also said that Tobias hasn't delved too deep into this power he has. Based on that, there is potential for him to reach new heights." Ikora pointed out to Uldren.

"I agree." Zavala spoke up. He could clearly remember when Tobias engaged Skolas, displaying combinations that Zavala didn't think were possible. Tobias was not to be taken lightly.

"I still have my doubts." Uldren stated.

"You shouldn't underestimate these Guardians brother." Mara added, speaking for the first time since they arrived at the Origin Libraries. "You seem to forget that it was these warriors that scattered those treacherous Wolves."

Uldren exhaled as he turned back to the hub. It wasn't often his sister would vouch for a foreigner, but in such a case, he knew it was best not to speak against it.

"And it seems you're not taking into account that Osiris is handicapped as well. Commander Zavala showed us that Tobias is capable of fighting a Fallen Kell to a standstill despite this. Just imagine what he could be capable of if we find a way to remove it." The Speaker said to the group.

This caused everyone to become quiet as they took a moment to think about this. What was Tobias truly capable of?

Ikora though, gave the Speaker a narrow stare. The suspicions she had about this man were quickly piling up. It was clear that he knew more than he was willing to admit…

 **10 Hygiea**

Tobias felt his chest become tight as he caught a glimpse of Trisha out of the corner of his eye. She was smiling vibrantly, and this was enough to distract him momentarily, causing him to fall behind the tempo the two of them had been playing too.

"Hah, I knew I'd getcha." Trisha exclaimed as she leaned back with a sigh of relief, lifting her fingers from the piano keys in front of them. They had been playing on a grand piano that had been placed next to the balcony of Trisha's apartment that had been left behind by whoever had lived here previously. "I'm a bit surprised though Tobias, I didn't think you of all people would know how to play piano."

"Neither did I." Tobias noted, shocked with himself as well.

When Tobias had first arrived at her home earlier, he found Trisha serenading Cody on this marvelous instrument. Tobias watched as she sang to Cody, slowly leaning back and forth, swaying to the song. Trisha had been playing by herself until she popped an innocent question. 'Have you ever played the piano Tobias?'

Inviting him to sit beside her on the small bench, she showed him a few of the basics, naming a key here and there for him. But as they began to play, Tobias' hands just began to move on their own. As Trisha played the melody, Tobias complimented her perfectly with the harmony. It was like he was an expert, but as far as Tobias could recall, he had never played the piano before. And yet, here he was keeping pace with Trisha was a pianist back on Earth.

"You know, I never really though Guardians did stuff like this Tobias." Trisha said to him as their eyes met. "I always thought of you all as soldiers. I didn't really think you all had a personal life."

Tobias though couldn't hear a word she was saying. There was something about this woman that was driving him crazy!

He knew her from somewhere. His hear fluttered every time she smiled. And when they played the piano, it felt as though he had done this hundreds, if not thousands of times with her, but there was no way that this was possible. So why did he feel like this…?

"Hello~, earth to Tobias?" Trisha said, waving a hand in front of his face.

"Huh?" Tobias exclaimed in response to being snapped out of his thoughts.

"Are you okay?" She asked him, curious as to where his mind had drifted to.

"Uh, sorry, I just got distracted." He replied.

"By what?" She pressed, leaning toward him a bit. Tobias looked away from her, in search of an answer.

"What about Cody? How well does he play?" Tobias asked her, glancing out on the balcony where the small body had been seated, listening to them play. Upon hearing his name being called, he jumped to his feet and came in to know what was happening.

"Oh, he's not too big a fan of the piano." Trisha admitted, smiling at her son.

"My hands are still too small." Cody replied as he climbed onto the bench now as well, wedging himself between them.

"Don't worry sweetie, when you get bigger it'll get easier." Trisha assured him, placing a small kiss on Cody's forehead.

Tobias inhaled sharply at the sight of this, his chest becoming so tight that it hurt! Why was this woman tugging at his heart so easily? He just couldn't figure out the reason. But it made him determined…to protect her.

Smiling at them, Tobias rose from the bench and stepped out onto the balcony that overlooked the street below. He could see the people of Earth doing whatever they could to adjust to their new lifestyle in the Reef. There were complaints, cases of homesickness, and thoughts of what was left behind for Oryx's horde. Everyone wanted to go back home.

Tobias wanted to help everyone. To see all of them return to their home.

He was going to do everything he could to make that happen.

* * *

"So Carmen, do you know why I contacted you?" Saladin asked the teenager that walked alongside him. The two of them were currently traveling down the corridor of an apartment building.

"Well I thought you wanted to talk, but I guess not now." Carmen replied as she looked away from Saladin. There had been nothing but silence between them since they had met earlier.

Saladin gave her a small glance, hoping to make eye contact with her, but she was looking the other way. She had been so kind to him when they were reunited, but now she was becoming edgy around him again. It was like when he had been training her as a Guardian. The two of them were always at odds, and it looked like they were returning to that status again.

"Mmm, actually, I didn't want to spoil anything for you." Saladin admitted, but this didn't get any sort of reaction from her. Arriving at the door they had been searching for, apartment B26, Saladin knocked on the door frame.

There was a moment of silence for the door slid open, revealing an attractive young woman. She appeared to be in her mid-twenties, with short brown locks and long eyelashes. Carmen almost felt like she was looking in a mirror that made her look a little more mature, and slightly taller. This young woman stared at Carmen for a few moments, tilting her head a bit. Saladin smirked a bit as the two stared at each other, and then he cleared his throat to get their attention.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She said, looking toward Saladin, but her gaze quickly returned to Carmen. "I just uh, you…you look a lot like me! I thought I was going crazy for a second."

"You're telling me." Carmen muttered.

"So, you must be Maria, correct?" Saladin asked her. Finally she looked up at him and maintained eye contact.

"Yeah, that's right." She replied tentatively. "Can I help you?"

"We're from the Vanguard. One of our associates contacted you about a day ago to arrange a meeting for us with you and your mother." Saladin explained to her, causing her expression to lighten up at this.

"Oh crap, that completely slipped my mind." She exclaimed, palming her forehead. She then moved aside, motioning for them to step in. "Come on in."

"Thank you." Saladin said, although he could only raise an eyebrow as Maria left them to go further into the apartment.

" _Jefa_ , we have visitors!" Maria barked into one of the doorways, causing Carmen and Saladin to share a confused glance.

"What'd I tell you about calling me that!?" Another voice shouted in a return. As Saladin and Carmen came further into the apartment, an older, probably in her fifties stepped out of the doorway, shooting Maria a glare. "How old are you _chica_? Address me with some respect."

Maria motioned to the Saladin and Carmen who were standing in the doorway, causing the woman to look toward them. Her expression softened at the sight of Saladin, but as her gaze came to Carmen, she froze. Then she gasped softly, dropping the data pad she held. Were her eyes deceiving her?

The curly brown hair, dark eyes and round face.

"I-I don't believe it." She said in a whisper as she approached Carmen. Reaching out as she drew closer, the woman placed a hand on Carmen's shoulder and used her other hand to caress her cheek, as if to check to see if she was real person.

Carmen was bit unnerved by the sudden contact between them, leaning backward a bit. But she was quickly trapped in hug from this woman who held her tightly. This prompted Carmen to starting questioning everything as she looked toward Saladin.

"What's going on?" She asked him.

"Mom, what the heck are you doing?" Maria exclaimed, confusion evident on her face. She was just as lost as Carmen was. Her mother was never so friendly with strangers. And her confusion only increased as her mother stepped back from Carmen, revealing the tears that were traveling down her cheeks.

"Seriously, what's the matter with you?" Carmen asked her as Carmen took a small step backward, unsure of what to expect.

"You don't…remember me, do you?" She asked Carmen, becoming a bit distraught when Carmen shook her head. "I'm _your_ mother, Victoria."

Everyone remained silent for a moment as Carmen donned a neutral expression, letting this all sink in.

"How could you…?" Carmen began as she looked up.

 _"Carmen, hurry!" Her mother hollered to her from the back entrance of the kitchen. She stood in the doorway, a small girl in her arms._

Carmen still vividly remembered the day the Fallen had attacked the small settlement she lived in during her early childhood. She could recall her mother's face as she desperately screamed to get Carmen to leave the house with her. This was that same woman standing before her now. This was her mother.

"M…Mom?" Carmen said softly. That one word made her mother's heart rejoice as she embraced Carmen once again.

"Oh, my baby, I thought I'd never see you again!" Victoria exclaimed as she hugged Carmen even tighter this time, shaking her a bit as well.

"Wait a second, so this is my sister!?" Maria shouted over the commotion, gaining the attention of Carmen and Victoria. "But I thought you said she died with dad?"

"I thought she had too, but…this is her. I just know it." Victoria said before looked toward Saladin. Obvious this man knew the answer.

"So is this why you brought me here?" Carmen asked as all eyes were the large Titan.

"Yes. And you were right Victoria, this is your daughter." Saladin stated, causing Victoria to smile warmly as she looked toward Carmen once again, taking in an eyeful of her daughter. She had grown quite a bit since she had last seen her, but just looking at Carmen made it feel like she was looking at a seventeen year old version of both Maria, and herself.

The reunion between the three of them went forward without a hitch as Carmen and Maria began to speak to each other animatedly, getting to know each other. As the two of them became engrossed in their conversation, Saladin and Victoria went into one of the rooms to have a private discussion there.

They stood in silence for a few moments, allowing Saladin to scan the room slowly. Quickly though, his eyes settled on a heavy machine gun that was resting in the corner of the room. A small smirk formed on his face as he realized that Victoria still couldn't part ways with this weapon.

"So, can you explain what happened for me?" Victoria asked him.

"Explain what?"

"How my daughter got here? Why is she so young? What happened to her?" Victoria showered him with questions, all of which she wanted to be answered.

"Okay, slow down for a moment. And we'll start from the beginning." Saladin said as he motioned for her to calm down. "She returned to the Last City above two weeks ago. I spoke with her Ghost privately, and apparently they had been traveling through time."

"So…that's why she disappeared after the Battle of Twilight Gap?" Victoria asked him, receiving a nod from Saladin.

"She trained with me until she turned seventeen, which was just before the Battle of Twilight Gap. Near the end of the battle, she had been tracking a fireteam that went through a time portal, and she followed them." Saladin explained to her. "But she is back now, safe and sound."

"She's so young? Did she stop aging at some point?" Victoria asked him, arriving at the true subject of their conversation. Carmen was her first born child, yet she was younger than her sister Maria.

Saladin sighed at this. He knew their conversation was headed in this direction.

"No, she hasn't stopped aging."

"But she's been gone for almost twenty three years. She should be almost thirty yet she's seventeen!" Victoria pointed out to him.

"As I said, she traveled to the future. She came from Twilight Gap, to this point in time. What might have been just a few minutes to her was...years for the rest of us." Saladin explained, reminding Victoria of how Carmen had come back to them.

"So then, with all of that time, have you all found a way to cure our condition?" Victoria asked him now, straight faced.

"Even with all of the time we've had to study the Light, we may have to accept that not everyone can be immortal like the Guardians." Saladin stated, causing Victoria to shake her head in disappointment. "I know this hurts, but even after centuries of studying the Traveler, and the Light, there's still so much we don't know."

"How long does we have then?"

"There's no timetable. Not to mention Carmen is the outlier here. Unlike you and Maria, her Light is in use thanks to her Ghost. She's in excellent condition right now, so we can only assume the best. But if her condition ever starts to deteriorate, that is when her time is beginning to run out." Saladin explained to her. Victoria drew a deep breath, fighting back the tears that threatened to escape her eyes. No matter how much she didn't want to accept her, the death of both her and her children were inevitable.

Returning to the living room, they found the two girls still chatting happily. Victoria felt her chest become tight at the sight of both her daughters in the same room, laughing with each other as they spoke. She had thought that she would never see a scene like this. Feeling selfish though, Victoria became determined to see this scene all the time.

"And just so you know Carmen, when you're calling mom, you have to call her _jefa._ " Maria informed Carmen who furrowed her brow.

"What does that mean?" She asked.

"It means boss lady."

"Why would you call her that?"

"Believe me, once you get to know our mom, you'll know why." Maria said with a laugh.

"Maria, stop filling her head with crap." Victoria said to Maria who stuck her tongue out at her mother. Victoria then went over to Carmen, taking a seat beside her on the sofa. "So Carmen, when are you going to move in with us?"

"Why would I do that?" Carmen asked her in return. Victoria blinked a few times at her response, clearly caught off guard.

"Don't you want to live with us?" Maria jumped in.

"I can't do that. I'm a Guardian. My first and only priority is to protect humanity, and preserve the Light." Carmen said, and then she added off handily. "And if I become a legend in the process I'm not going to complain."

"But you don't have to do that." Victoria said as she shook her head. "You can come live with us Carmen, and relax every day, do normal stuff, that isn't dangerous."

"I'm sorry _mom,_ but I can't do this. I've heard from so many people that no one from Earth is happy living in the Reef. And I already heard you don't like it here either." Carmen pointed out, causing Victoria to glance at Maria who looked away from her. "Now I'll bet that I'd be really happy living with the two of you, but…that's pointless if we're living here. We're not home. Our home is on Earth, and right now, I want to do everything in my power to bring you guys back to it."

Victoria leaned back into the sofa, exhaling at this.

"This _chica_ is so stubborn. But I guess you got that from me." Victoria noted before she looked back at Carmen. "I know you've got a fire inside you, that wants to do great things. I won't you hold you back. But just remember, when you get into trouble, I've got your back."

"Yeah, and make that double for me." Maria added as she and Victoria embraced Carmen together.

 **Origin Libraries**

Diana stood alone in the sanctum that had been dedicated to Osiris with in the Awoken library. She was the only one to remain once the meeting between the Guardians and the Awoken had come to a close.

After hearing Osiris' thoughts on the Hive, Diana couldn't deny that she was curious to see what else she could learn from this man. And this room had an incredible wealth of knowledge, but Diana quickly discovered just how controversial this man was. He was just like Toland, seeking to gain a better understand of the Darkness, which ultimately led to his own demise.

But as she delved further into these databanks, she reached a subject that she began engrossed in.

Osiris' theories on this battle between the Light and the Darkness.

 _"The Light and the Darkness. They're polar opposites. One represents good, while the other is evil. For comparison's sake, they're like oil and vinegar. They will always oppose one another, never combining." Osiris explained as Diana listened on. "I'm beginning to believe that this conflict, is more than simply a war between these two forces and their ideals, but actually a battle that must take place to maintain balance in the universe, a battle that will remain balanced despite any other influences."_

Diana took a moment to think about this. And she quickly could see how his theory applied to their current situation.

As the Guardians grew stronger, the Darkness did as well.

 _"I would never hear the end of it if I made such a comparison in front of the Vanguard…but if we were to compare ourselves as Guardians, to the Darkness. You would consider beings such as the Hive and the Vex to be manifestations of the Darkness. We as Guardians, are spawns of the Light." Osiris went on. "The Darkness creates powerful beings, such as Oryx and Crota, while the Guardians grow stronger to topple them, continuing this cycle. But this leaves to me to wonder, the Traveler, and now Tobias, function as the Vessel for the Light. The only logical conclusion is that there must be some equivalent that exists for the Darkness. I fear the thought of there being a creation of the Darkness born to be Tobias' equivalent."_

"I thought I'd find you here." A voice called out, causing Diana to blink several times. Pausing the recording, she then turned around to the entrance of the sanctum, discovering that it was Petra who had disturbed her. "What are you doing down here Diana?"

"The information the Vanguard kept on Osiris is off limits to us. I figured while I was here, I might as well see what I can learn from him." Diana explained as she turned to face Petra now.

"Hmm, well I'm glad you're making the best use of our facilities. It really is a shame the Vanguard deny you all from a mind as great as Osiris'." Petra said pointedly, causing Diana to snort.

"If you're trying to find fault with them to get me to come back, that's not going to work." Diana stated. "The Vanguard has their reasons for cutting Osiris loose, and I'm going to respect that decision."

"Eh, it was worth a shot." Petra replied, giving Diana a small smile. "So I'll get straight to my point now. Have you made a decision yet Diana?"

Diana sighed deeply at this, taking a moment to study Petra's expression. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt her cousin, but she had already made up her mind.

"I'm not coming back. I've already found a home, and people that I love. I can't abandon them." Diana stated firmly. Petra stared deep into Diana's eyes, searching for the slightest bit of doubt. But there wasn't even a sliver. This caused Petra to smile warmly, pleased with Diana's response.

"Good for you Diana." Petra said. "I'm glad to see that you have committed to a decision. Being indecisive right now won't cut it with the enemy we're all facing."

Diana gave her a nod of agreement. Their true fight with Oryx was approaching. Second guessing yourself could be the end of someone's life…or even your own.

A/N

So this was a loaded chapter, but I'm using it all as build up for the upcoming battles, because it'll be total chaos starting at the next chapter. This is the last chapter I have dedicated to build up, so don't say I didn't warn you. Wish our heroes luck because from this point forward, they're going to be at war. And wish me a little luck trying to write all of this.

This was the first chapter where I really delved into the lore and events that occurred before the canon. I tried to fill some of the holes surrounding Tobias' encounter with Oryx, and give you some insight into his life before the chapter one. But for the sake of making sure everything is clear, I'll just run it all by you briefly here.

-At the end of the Collapse, Oryx is beaten back by the Traveler who makes the ultimate sacrifice to force him away from Earth. Oryx retreats to Earth's Moon to rest, and instructs the Hive to begin molding the Moon into a breeding ground for him to construct an army, a force to crush what remained on of the Light on Earth. The process of hollowing out the Moon to create a breeding ground would take centuries, time which Oryx would spend recovering from his battle with the Traveler. When his army is finally completed, a portion of them goes down to Earth to establish a beachhead, this being recognized as the Battle of Burning Lake.

The Vanguard successfully push back this small invasion force, and in their arrogance, call for a full scale assault on the Moon to destroy the Hive. But Osiris and Shaxx demand that they delay any retaliation so that the Hive can be studied. Osiris and Toland would discover that Oryx is leading this force from within Earth's Moon, and they quickly understand that Oryx must be defeated before they could launch such an attack against the Hive. Tobias is tasked with killing Oryx. Their clash would ultimately force Oryx to leave Earth's Moon now in search of a new means to combat the Light, but Tobias would disappear after this. Under Oryx's command, Crota would oversee the destruction of the Guardians. With Tobias missing, the Vanguard proceeds with their counterattack in hope that they would find him as they fought of the Hive, but this would only to lead the Great Disaster on the Moon where thousands of Guardians fell to Crota's sword. The events proceed as they did in the Destiny canon from here.-

That was just to clear up anything for anyone that might have needed it. As always, thanks for reading and I hope to see you all next time.


	19. The Chamber of Night

**Chapter 19**

* * *

 **The Dreadnaught**

 **Alter of Oryx**

Oryx hovered along on the large balcony the protruded from the side of his ship, quietly the cosmos that surrounded him. A tall white Knight stepped out onto the balcony carrying a weighty sword, approaching Oryx.

"Master, the fortress has been completed." Ecthar said as he kneeled down behind Oryx. "It now stands where their leaders once did."

"Everything is going according to plan." Oryx said with a small nod as he spread his wings.

"Why did you allow them to escape Master?" Ecthar asked curiously as he looked up at Oryx who looked up, taking a deep breath as he recalled his last meeting with Tobias.

 _"_ _You've taken everything from me!" Tobias roared as he and Oryx exchanged blows. "I will make you pay for everything you've done to me, and all the people I love!"_

"The one who holds the Radiant Light, he is not to be underestimated. He almost bested me once before. He still draws power from the Traveler, so I set out to create the Dreadnaught, to cut off his strength." Oryx explained. "When he sees what we have done to his home, I'm certain he will come after us, just like the first time. And once he boards the Dreadnaught, he will realize that his precious Light can't reach him here."

 **Reef**

 **4 Vesta**

"I'm sure you all know why I called this meeting." Uldren said as he glanced at Ikora and Zavala, two out the three Vanguard Mentors that he had invited to his private chamber.

"Our contacts on Earth informed us that the Dreadnaught has left Earth's Moon about a week ago." Zavala replied, earning a nod from Uldren.

"My spies have confirmed that the Dreadnaught was attacked as it was passing Mars." Uldren explained.

"The Cabal?" Zavala suggested, receiving a nod from Uldren.

"Indeed. A new Cabal Legion had just arrived actually as the Dreadnaught was passing, although it seems that they didn't pose much of a threat to Oryx." Uldren revealed as he brought up a small recording of the Hive ships tearing through the Cabal with ease. "In a last ditch effort the flagship of this new fleet was crashed into the Dreadnaught. The condition of the Cabal on the Dreadnaught are unknown at this point, from we've been able to confirm that the Dreadnaught is on a course for Saturn right now."

"But why would he do that?" Ikora asked as she looked toward Zavala.

"I can't think of a reason for him to abandon the Earth, but we can't pass on this opportunity." Zavala said. "We should execute our plan to venture into the Moon for the shard of the Traveler."

"I agree. In the meantime, I will keep in contact with my spies near Saturn to see what actions Oryx takes from there." Uldren said as Zavala left the room, calling for his Ghost to get into contact with Undaunted.

Ikora remained behind, in deep thought about why Oryx would leave the Earth for them to return to. Was there something he needed from Earth? What could possibly be on Earth that would be of use to a Hive God?

"Are you planning on leaving any time soon?" Uldren asked her, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"I just have a quick question for you if you don't mind." Ikora said, receiving a narrow stare from Uldren.

"What could you possibly want to know from me?"

"What do you know about the Speaker?" Ikora asked, clearly catching Uldren off guard with such a question.

The Speaker…

"I know you have a network of spies, some of which were in the Last City before it fell." Ikora continued, but Uldren became casual now. It didn't seem to bother him that his spies had been exposed.

"How very observant of you. I will confirm that my spies once lived among you, but the Speaker was a subject they could never explore. The man is more elusive than you'd think for someone dressed in all white." Uldren commented. "But my spies have all used the same term to describe him. He's a snake."

* * *

"We're getting deployed already?" Carmen explained as she and the rest of Undaunted had gathered together in Diana's ship, preparing for takeoff.

"Zavala gave our Ghosts the briefing." Niko replied he and Tobais brought up the rear of the team as they traveled up the ramp into the main cabin to the ship.

"He also gave me a briefing!" A new voice called out to them, causing them all to stop and turn in search of this person.

To their surprise, it was Petra.

"What are you doing here?" Niko asked as he took a few steps aside to approach her, but he was quickly pushed aside by Diana.

"You're joining us?" She asked, receiving a nod from Petra. "What made you want to do that?"

"We're going to war with Oryx and his armies. There's no telling what could happen to us, I thought I would seize the opportunity to spend a little time with my family." Petra explained, earning some confused glances from the other members of Undaunted.

"Family?" Tobias repeated.

"Yeah, Diana and I are related." Petra replied. "We're cousins."

"Really, that's so cool." Carmen exclaimed as she and Tobias approached Petra to introduce them properly.

"You guys can talk on the ship, there's no time to waste." Diana said as she motioned for everyone follow her into the ship.

"Damn Diana, why didn't you tell me you were related to someone so fine?" Niko asked her softly as the two of them were ahead of the rest of the group.

"Because I knew you'd try to hit on her. But believe me, she's not the type of girl you want Niko." Diana said to him, causing Niko to glance back at her.

"I don't see what's wrong with her." Niko replied, ignoring Diana's warning.

"Alright, suit yourself." She said as she went into the cockpit and took her seat behind the controls.

"I'll take this seat." Niko said as she dropped down beside Petra in the cabin, strapping himself to the seat. Petra eyed him for a moment, and Niko gave her a wink in reply. Petra smirked at this before glancing around at the rest of the team.

"So do you all know the details behind this mission?" Petra asked them.

"No, we haven't given them a briefing yet." Tobias's Ghost said as it formed beside of him. "We're heading for Earth's Moon, the Ocean of Storms."

The Warlock gave him a nod in return before the ship began to rise, allowing the landing gear to retract into the base of the craft before it took off, exiting the hanger.

"That's where we went last time with Vance." Carmen noted thoughtfully, getting a nod from Tobias' Ghost.

"We're good Diana." Niko called out to the pilot who then began to the process of departing from the hanger. The ship rose up into the air, allowing the landing gear to retract into its base as they began their journey out into space.

"So what are we going into the Moon for?" Tobias asked.

"This time we're going in even deeper. Eris informed the Vanguard that there's a shard of the Traveler deep within the Moon that the Hive are using to siphon power from…Tobias." Tobias's Ghost stated, surprising the Guardians present.

"Why would the Hive be siphoning power from Tobias?" Niko asked as he looked toward Tobias who only shrugged his shoulders. He had no idea either.

"Actually, it seems as though the original intent of this was to drain the Traveler of its Light. But with Tobias acting as its vessel, they're draining him." His Ghost explained.

"Really?" Niko exclaimed.

"Do you feel weak Tobias? How many fingers am I holding up?" Carmen asked with a grin.

"Oh can it guys, I'm completely fine." Tobias stated with a huff, earning a snicker from the two Hunters.

"The chamber this shard is in is deeper than anything the Awoken have mapped, so I imagine we'll find some dangerous foes down there." Petra pointed out.

"Do you think we'll run into the Taken?" Carmen inquired curiously, looking around.

"Expect it. The Moon is the Hive's turf. I'm sure Oryx must have some of his personal army running around inside of the Moon." Petra replied.

"Are you sure you can handle all of this?" Niko asked her, earning a sharp glance from Petra that sent a chill down Niko's spine.

"Don't underestimate me. I may not be blessed by the Light, but I can hold my own." Petra stated firmly as she looked away from Niko who bit on his lower lip knowing that he had already spoken out of line with her.

'Good luck Niko.' Diana said with a small smile as their ship entered hyperspace, beginning their journey to the Moon.

 **Earth's Moon**

 **Ocean of Storms**

"Isn't it nice to be back?" Diana's Ghost asked the team of five as they trekked down the dark tunnel, their footsteps echoing with every step.

"Whatever you call it." Carmen muttered in response as she tried to shake off the chills she kept getting. She _really_ didn't like it down here.

They had already ventured past the entrance to the shrines that Vance had led them to, through several large rooms and down various tunnels until arrived at an area that Petra recognized as the Circle of Bones. It was an open and spacious area where they could peer down into the Hellmouth, and up to see just how far they had gone down beneath the surface.

"Well this brings back memories." Niko noted as he looked down, recalling when he was part of the raid team that jumped down into this pit to kill Crota.

"How much deeper do we have to go?" Carmen asked, causing Petra to pull out a small data pad that held the map of the tunnels beneath the Moons. Petra spent a few moments studying it quietly as everyone waited for an answer from her.

Tobias felt a sudden chill, causing him to glance around. In the distance, he was certain he saw a shadow quickly vanish into hiding.

'Hmm?' He said to himself as he ventured over the small area that the shadow and disappeared into. It was small room that was barred off, but this didn't deter Tobias. Entering, he scanned it with both his helmet and his own eyes, but there was nothing to be found.

"Tobias, what are doing?" Diana asked him as she stood by the entrance.

"Uhh, I thought I saw something. But it was nothing." He replied quickly as he joined the rest of team since Petra had finished double checking her map.

"So right now we're in the Circle of Bones, the deepest point that we have mapped, but there is a tunnel over there that should take us down to another level." Petra explained as she led the group to the entrance of this tunnel.

"So you don't know what's down there?" Diana asked, earning a nod from Petra.

"But this is our best bet to get down to the chamber we're looking for." She pointed out.

"Fair enough." Tobias said as he took the lead, tightening his grip on his pulse rifle. Everyone else quickly followed, falling into a single file formation as they checked their radars for any sudden movements. Niko was behind Tobias, with Petra trailing him. Carmen was next and Diana brought up the rear.

"Undaunted, what's the situation?" A stern voice asked over the comms. It was Zavala.

"Boy, I'm surprised there's no interference even though we're so far beneath the surface." Diana noted. "But everything is going fine so far Commander. We're entering uncharted areas now, so wish us luck."

"I see, stay focused then. You never know what type of enemies will be waiting for you." Zavala stated, getting a nod of agreement from the fireteam.

"We'll keep you posted Zavala." Carmen stated, earning a sigh from Zavala. Carmen still wouldn't address him by the rank he had earned. Zavala then closed off his line, leaving them to focus on their task as they continued down the tunnel, rounding a corner.

 _'_ _Tobias…_ ' There was chilling whisper that caused Tobias to freeze as he looked around in search of the voice.

"What's the matter?" Niko asked him after bumping into him from his sudden halt.

"Didn't you guys hear that?" Tobias asked as he looked back at the rest of them.

"Hear what?" Diana asked in return.

"That voice." He said, motioning to the ceiling.

"I didn't hear anything." Niko replied.

"If you're trying to mess with Tobias just quit it!" Carmen hollered as she peeked out from behind Niko.

"Hmm, never mind then." Tobias said as he shook his head. Maybe this was all in his head. "Let's keep moving."

But as the group refocused themselves, the tunnel quaked, catching everyone by surprise.

"What's going on?!" Carmen screamed.

"Look out!" Petra said after glancing up at the ceiling of the tunnel. Just this small tremor had done a number on the tunnel as the ceiling began to collapse directly above Tobias.

In an instant Petra spun around Niko and landed a swift kick to Tobias' back, throwing him forward before she turned and jumped headfirst into Niko's chest, throwing both of them back at Diana and Carmen as the tunnel came crashing down. Niko landed on his back with a thud, Petra resting on top of him. Fortunately, it had been just enough space for both of them to avoid being hit, but now the tunnel was flooded with large stones that blocked it off completely.

"Is everyone alright?" Niko asked as Petra rose up and then offered him a hand to help him up.

"I think so." Carmen responded as she dusted off her cloak.

"What about Tobias?" Diana asked as looked back down at tunnel.

"I'm fine, just a little shaken." Tobias replied through the comms, allowing the rest of the team to breathe a sigh of relief.

Tobias didn't even have a chance to react as the tunnel had collapsed on top of him. If he hadn't suddenly been thrown forward, he definitely would've been crushed.

"So what now? Are we going to try and clear the tunnel?" Carmen asked as she looked toward she studied the current state of the tunnel.

"I wouldn't advise that. That tremor has made this entire area unstable. Shifting anything could only lead to more trouble." Tobias' Ghost said after briefly scanning the ceiling.

"Shoot man, what should we do from here?" Tobias asked.

"Tobias, proceed with the mission." Petra stated as she pulled out her map of the tunnels once again. "I believe there's another way to get to the area you're heading for right now, so we'll come around and meet you there."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"I don't see why not. It shouldn't take us long to make the trip around, just keep us updated on what's taking place." Petra replied.

"O-kay." Tobias said as he took one last look at the rocks that separated him from the rest of the team. He was on his own again. Just like when he was in the Cosmodrome Wall. Shaking his head a bit to dispel any doubts, Tobias then pressed forward down the tunnel. He was much stronger now.

Tobias was amazed as he progressed further now into areas that had been developed by the Hive. For a race that appeared to be so volatile, they were capable of some incredible feats. Burrowing beneath the surface of the Moon and building numerous structures was beyond anything he could imagine.

Slowly climbing a tall staircase, his pulse rifle in hand, Tobias glanced up at the large doorway that awaited him on the platform above.

"That's it, the darkest of all the chambers down here." His stated as it hovered in front of him. And Tobias could feel it as well.

It was like there was a heavy weight on his shoulders. But despite how dense the Darkness was, he could also sense the Light. But it was faint.

"We've found the chamber where the shard is located." Ghost said over the comms, relaying the information to the rest of the team.

"Excellent work. We just made it to entrance by the Hellmouth, so it'll be a while before we get down there." Petra replied. "Hold you position there."

"Yes ma'am." His Ghost said before the line was closed, causing Tobias to sigh as they looked down the doorway at the entrance to the chamber.

"So what should we do now?" Tobias asked.

"…Blackjack?" His Ghost offered.

"What do you know about blackjack?" Tobias asked with a snort, shocked that his Ghost made such a proposal.

 _'_ _Tobias…'_ There was that whisper again, but this time it echoed, causing Tobias to glanced around in search of the source. _'Tobias…!'_

Looking at the closed doors that locked off the chamber, Tobias could tell that it was coming from within the chamber.

"Did you hear that?" Tobias asked his Ghost.

"Hear what?"

"Never mind." Tobias said as he waved off his Ghost. This caused the small drone to narrow its optics as it observed Tobias. This was the second time Tobias asked that someone since they had come down here. Perhaps he was hearing things on a frequency that Ghost didn't know of.

Caught up in its own thoughts, Tobias' Ghost failed to notice him approach the doors, inspecting it for a way to open it. But upon placing his hand on the door, it reacted to him. The doors creaked as they separated, revealing exactly what they were looking for. At the heart of the chamber was a large crescent shaped objected that was tainted green, hovering above a pedestal. The shard.

"Tobias?" His Ghost said as it flew over to him. "What are you doing?"

"Change of plans." Tobias said as he readied his weapon. "We're going in."

Tobias stepped into the chamber, immediately gaining the attention of the three Wizards that had been hovering around the shard. They screeched, raising their hands which gained a blue aura before they began to fire several blue orbs at him. Diving to his left to get behind the cover, Tobias called for his fusion rifle which was quickly placed into his hands, curtsey of his Ghost, and just in time since one of the Wizards had decide to come straight at him.

Hovering over him, it screeched once again as it prepared its attack, but the time it took for it to charge up its own attack was more than enough time for Tobias to charge his fusion rifle. Seeing the one of their own get vaporized by Tobias' fusion rifle, the remaining two Wizards rushed at him together, igniting their hands with a blue aura once again.

Seeing that he was going to be tag teamed this time, Tobias decided to move since he would be caught against the wall if he engaged both Wizards here. Dashing from one column to the next, Tobias did his best to remain hidden, hoping that the two Wizards would split up to search for him. And it worked to perfection.

After losing track of him, both of them went separate ways in search of where he had gone. Waiting behind one column as one of the Wizards drew closer, Tobias recalled what Carmen had shared with him about using fusion rifles.

 _"_ _Once you understand what it sounds like before it fires, you can pre-charge it behind cover and peek out at the last second to fire. It catches everyone off guard."_

Tobias licked his lips as he peaked out to see how close the Wizard was. It was well within range of his fusion rifle, so now was the time to strike. Holding down the trigger, the weapon began to charge. Recognizing the cue of when to fire, Tobias jumped out an unloaded into the Wizard, searing it to bits with the energy bolts that were fired from his weapon.

The remaining Wizard spotted him immediately from across the room and it prepared to fire at him. Using this time, Tobias first his fusion rifle at it once again, but being so far from this Wizard, it was only capable of knocked down the shield that it had. Tobias clicked his tongue as he quickly took cover behind the pillar to avoid being pelted by the energy blasts the Wizard was spamming.

Switching back to his pulse rifle now, Tobias popped out on the other side of the pillar now and took aim at the Wizard. It took two bursts to put the Wizard down, but Tobias was pleased that he had made such easy work of them.

"Gook work Tobias." His Ghost commented as it reappeared beside him now, joining him as they approached the shard of the Traveler.

"Thanks." Tobias replied as Ghost quickly rose up, beginning to scan various parts of it to gain an understanding of how it was being used by the Hive. Although after completing its examination, Tobias' Ghost feared the Hive even more than it had before.

"To think that the Hive are capable of draining the Traveler of its Light." It shuddered.

"Is there a way to stop it?" Tobias asked.

"Not from here. The shard is located here, but the Hive are draining it from a different location." His Ghost explained.

"Can you pinpoint it?"

"Unfortunately I can't. They're not on the Moon."

"Well shoot, what are we going to do? The whole mission is a bust now." Tobias noted as he looked up at the shard. The shard was supposed to be their key to defeating Oryx, but it looked like that plan was already heading down the drain.

"Hello? Hello?" Tobias' Ghost repeated through the comms, trying to get into contact with the rest of the team.

"Is something wrong?"

"There's some heavy interference here all of sudden." His Ghost replied.

"Oh, that's probably me. Sorry about that." A new voice said, causing the duo to whirl around in search of the voice.

Stepping out from behind one of the stone columns on the upper level of the room was what appeared to be a man. But a chill went up Tobias' spine as he looked at the man. Starting at his feet, Tobias slowly looked up, examining the person that stood before him.

His entire body was black with no features on it whatsoever, except for a face. A face that Tobias recognized. It was his own.

"What the?" Tobias said softly as he stared at the man standing before him. It was as if he was looking in mirror. Everything about this man's face matched his own, but his body…

It was black and jagged. Human in shape but clearly deformed. Almost like he was one of the Taken.

"Who are you?" Tobias exclaimed, completely bewildered.

"Who am I?" He asked in return, looking up in thought.

 _"_ _You, are my wrath. The culmination of everything the Light has robbed me of. You will stomp out the Light, and make the Guardians tremble before you. You are the key to my vengeance! You shall be known as Titus, Wrath of Oryx!"_

"I'm you." He stated, focusing on Tobias who shook his head in response.

"No, no. That's impossible. You can't be me." Tobias replied as he pointed at the man. "You're one of the Taken."

"That's true. But I was you before I was Taken." He stated as he jumped down to center platform of the room, looking up at the shard of the Traveler.

"What?" Tobias' Ghost exclaimed.

"No." Tobias continued. "You're some kind of copy or something. There can't be two of me in existence."

The man only shrugged in response as he raised a hand toward the shard. The green taint that permeated the shard was stripped off of it, and pulled into his hand, cleansing the shard in just a few moments. Tobias only tilted his head in confusion now.

"There, that should do it." He said as the shard began to glow again, its Light beginning to shine through now that there was nothing holding it back. Tobias could feel the warmth from the shard, the same warmth he feels when he's close to the Traveler. This man really did cleanse it…

"Why are you helping us?" Tobias asked as he gave this person a narrow stare now, unsure of his motives.

"Like I said, I'm you." He replied. "I have the same desires, goals…dreams. I know you enjoy fighting strong opponents. So do I. And I also know that if this shard is returned to the Traveler, you'll gain an unimaginable power. I want to see it, and fight it."

Tobias glanced at his Ghost. This man was only getting weirder and weirder.

"You probably don't know what to think of all of this, so I'll give you a word of advice, don't stress over it. We're going to meet again in the future, and when we do…it's going to be a battle for the ages." He said as he turned to face Tobias.

His body began to change again, taking on the shape of the clothing that Tobias was wearing. A perfect copy. The man gave him one last look before a helmet formed around his head, completing his effort to copy Tobias' armor. He didn't say another word as he jumped back up to the upper level.

"Titus versus Tobias. I can't wait." He said as stepped farther back onto the platform, vanishing into the shadows there.

"Titus?" Tobias repeated after hearing him mention the name. "Boy, this is getting weirder and weirder."

"Yeah, the Vanguard won't like the sound of this one." His Ghost commented as it turned toward the shard.

"No they're not." Tobias replied.

"Why wouldn't they? We're talking about a Taken variant of you!" Ghost exclaimed. "This could be our worst nightmare."

"Or our greatest ally." Tobias injected, silencing his Ghost. "He just cleansed the shard for us. Imagine what we could accomplish if he really is helping us."

" _If_? What if he isn't though? Then what? He could feed us false information and lead us to our doom." Ghost proclaimed. "You have no reason to trust him."

Tobias remained quiet now. He could understand his Ghost's point of view, but there was something about this, Titus, that he just couldn't shake. Was this man a friend? Or foe? Was he even a man? There were so many questions building up in his head already, but he was certain that labeling Titus as an enemy wouldn't answer any of these.

"Don't mention him in our report of this mission. He's a secret between just you, and me." Tobias stated, looking directly at his Ghost who glanced at him.

"I hope you understand that I'm loyal to the Light before you Tobias." His Ghost responded. "But I'll overlook this for now because he did help us. But the moment he establishes himself as an enemy, the Vanguard will know everything."

"That's fine with me." Tobias said, putting his Ghost's threat aside. It was all water under the bridge now, and they had more pressing matters to attend to. "We've got the shard, let's get moving."

"Right." Ghost said with a small nod as it rose to the top of the shard before casting a light down onto it. Slowly but steadily, the shard was broken down as the Ghost transferred it into the unique storage space that was used to hold their Guardian's weapons. "Transfer complete."

"Great, let's get out of here." Tobias said as he looked toward the exit to the room. The pair began their journey back, traveling up the staircase that led down into the chamber that held the shard, but as they arrived at the top of the staircase, they discovered that a number of enemies had been waiting for them. Thrall, Knights, Acolytes all began to screech and roar at the sight of Tobias, readying their weapons and flexing their claws.

Back inside of the chamber, Titus was stood on the platform looking down at the doorway Tobias had just left through, a small smirk on his face. He was certain that Tobias must have seen the army that was waiting for him by now. This would be his test. If Tobias couldn't escape the Moon, it would be clear to him that Tobias wasn't ready to wield the Radiant Light at its strongest.

"Let's see how you fair against these odds Tobias." He said before vanishing into the shadows.

* * *

A/N

And now we're starting to touch of something I've been absolutely dying to get to. A Taken Guardian. I don't know if its fair to call him that, but you're going to be seeing a lot more of this...Titus. So look forward to that.

The next chapter is my favorite thus far, so I really can't wait to get it up after I finish it up. Once again thanks for the support everyone, and I'll see you next week!


	20. Escape the Moon!

**Chapter 20**

* * *

 **Earth's Moon**

 **Temple of Crota**

"Finally we made it!" Diana exclaimed as the team of four jumped off their sparrows now that they had arrived at the other entrance that would take them down into the Hive catacombs.

"It'll take us some time to get down there, keep that in mind." Petra pointed out as they wasted no time running down into the entrance, stomping their boots since there was no need to be quiet. There were no enemies.

"Ghost, have you been able to contact Tobias?" Diana asked her small accomplice.

"No, no dice. I don't have readings on their location either." It responded, much to everyone's dismay.

"I hope he's alright, there's no telling what the Hive have down there." Niko mumbled out as they arrived at another long corridor that took them further down below.

* * *

"Rah!" Tobias roared as he fired away with his pulse rifle, gunning down several Thrall with this magazine before he dove into a small crevasse to reload. Putting down a Vortex grenade to buy him some extra time, Tobias quickly discarded the empty magazine and slapped in a new one as his Vortex faded away. Peeking out, Tobias could see that despite the number of Hive enemies he had killed, there numbers weren't decreasing.

"Tobias, you can't stay here. There's way too many for you to fight by yourself!" His Ghost declared.

"You're going to have to guide me out of here. Once I start moving, there's no stopping." Tobias stated.

"I can't guarantee I'll get you to the surface, but I'll try to see if we can get back onto the map that Petra gave me." His Ghost said as it quickly scanned the room for their exit. "This room is connected to another room, and from the next room there's a tunnel that travels upward. Hopefully that'll put us on the right track."

"I'll take your word for it." Tobias said as he looked out from the platform he stood on. The room below was flooded with Hive that were eagerly awaiting their opportunity to rip him to shreds. But that wouldn't be today!

Tobias leapt from the platform, hovering above the Hive that filled the floor below for just a few moments. As he drew closer to the ground, they began to gather around the area where he would land, the Knights readying their large cleavers to cut him down. But Tobias disappeared into thin air. All of them began to look around curiously in search of the Guardian, only to discover that he was already at the large doors that connected to the two rooms, sprinting like there was no tomorrow. And the pursuit began.

"You have to get there." His Ghost pointed out as they entered the next room. Tobias quickly looked up the long staircase which was littered with Knights and Acolytes, and at the top was another group of Knights guarding a pair of closed doors. "There's a seal on the door, but I'm certain I can break it."

"I need a shotgun then." Tobias called out.

"Careful, the Knights at the top are equipped with Boomers. Watch your approach." His Ghost responded as it placed the weapon he had requested in his hands. And just as his Ghost had said, the Knights at the top of the staircase began to bombard him with their arc catapults, but this wasn't enough to deter Tobias. Weaving through the cannon fire, Tobias jumped as he approached the base of their staircase to throw down a Vortex grenade at the Acolytes that were blocking his path.

Placing it perfectly at the center of the group, all of them were blasted away as the Void energy erupted beneath them, opening Tobias' path up their staircase. Looking up the stairway, Tobias quickly counted out seven Knights, one more than the number of shots he had in a magazine of his shotgun. But this wouldn't be a problem.

Evading each of the Knights initial attack, Tobias quickly responded by giving them a head full of pellets from his shotgun. In no time at all Tobias was at the top of the staircase where the seventh sword wielding Knight had backed up to gain the aid of the Boomer Knights. But this meant nothing to Tobias as he jumped into the air above them and cocked his hand back, igniting it with Void Light.

"Hah!" He shouted, pitching down a swirling vortex onto the group of Knights, destroying them all in an instant and opening his exit path.

"Good work." His Ghost said as it took shape to examine the seal on the door.

"How long do you think this is going to take?" Tobias asked anxiously as he glanced back at the entrance to the room he had come through where all the Hive he had left were now coming through.

"I can't break this seal, we need a Tomb Husk." His Ghost replied, causing Tobias' stomach to drop.

"Where are we going to get one of those?" He asked as he turned to the approaching enemies, firing away with his pulse rifle to take out a few of them.

"There are some energy fluctuations in a small room beneath us. That's probably a Tomb Husk." His Ghost explained as it zipped down the staircase, motioning for him to follow.

Glancing at the approaching horde, Tobias knew that trying to fight them off would put him at a greater risk then taking this gamble with his Ghost. Jumping down the staircase, Tobias quickly followed his Ghost down into a small tunnel that eventually took them down into a very small room with a statue craved into the wall.

"See, just like I said." His Ghost stated triumphantly as it floated over to the glowing sphere that rested in the hands of the statue. Tobias approached the statue tentatively, slightly unnerved as he stared at the statue. It wasn't a carving of something from the Hive pantheon like you'd expect to find within the Hive catacombs. The statue was clearly of a human, a woman. Both her eyes were shut, but at the center of her forehead was a third eye which was wide open. "Come on Tobias, we have to get moving."

"Right." He said, snatching the Tomb Husk from the statue. He then returned to the exit of the room, but stopped there. Tobias didn't even need to see with his own eyes to guess how many enemies were waiting for him back in the main room. His radar was going crazy. They had already closed up around him. "Oh, crap."

"We're trapped." His Ghost said softly. "They'll be down here any second now. It's over."

"No, not yet." Tobias said as he raised one hand, gathering a very small amount of Void Light in his hand, creating a small sphere.

 _"_ _Turning invisible shouldn't be a problem for you Tobias. You're already a master at manipulating Void Light, this builds off of everything you know." Niko explained._

Holding the small orb in hand, Tobias threw it at his feet, becoming enveloped in a plume of white smoke. Once the cloud cleared away, Tobias was nowhere to be found.

"Hah, excellent." His Ghost marveled before vanishing as well.

As the Hive came down into the room, Tobias took the opportunity to leave, slipping past them as a small portion of their forces came down to search for him. But as he continued back out into the main room, almost all of the Hive he had passed turned and began following him.

'What's going on?' Tobias asked his Ghost as the number of Hive following him increased dramatically as he proceeded up the staircase.

'I think they can smell the Tomb Husk you're carrying.' His Ghost responded, causing Tobias to bite down on his lower lip. The invisibility granted from the smoke bomb wouldn't last much longer, and this was the last thing he expected to happen. It was likely that they thought he was one of them because of the scent of the Tomb Husk, and using another smoke bomb would give himself away, so he was running out of options.

'How long will it take you to break the seal with this?' Tobias asked.

'It should be instant, but I don't know how long it will take for the doors to open up.' His Ghost replied. 'Just slam the Tomb Husk into the seal once you get there.

'That's good enough.' Tobias said as he picked up the pace, rushing to the seal as his invisibility began to wear off. As he approached the door, Tobias raised the Tomb Husk and slammed it into the seal once he was close enough, causing it to shatter as the chains locking the door became fiery ashes.

There was a roar as the Knights and Acolytes spotted Tobias, realizing that he was an enemy. But before they had a chance to attack, Tobias pelted them with Vortex grenades, using it as a barrier to keep them from advancing up the staircase. The doors creaked as they began to separate while Tobias fired away at the Hive with his pulse rifle, keeping them at bay.

"You're clear!" His Ghost shouted as there was enough space for Tobias to slip through. Tobias threw down another grenade to hopefully gain just a few extra moments of precious time between himself and the army pursuing him before darting through the doors. But he quickly came skidding to a halt as he discovered that what awaited him here was even worse.

A trio of monotone Wizards were hovering around a black sphere, all of which turned to face him as he came through the doorway. They all raised their arms, summoning Thrall that were pitch black and completely silent as they rushed at him. Surprised by this, Tobias was late to react as the Thrall attacked him, slashing away at him with their claws.

"What the?" Tobias exclaimed as he felt his strength being drained from him as the Thrall attacked him.

Lashing out with his pulse rifle, Tobias knocked away one of Thrall, causing the other two to lunge at him. Slamming his palm into the closest one, it was blasted to bits before he did the same to the remaining one. All that was left was the Wizards, but as Tobias eyed them they spawned another trio of the shadow like Thrall to fight him again.

'I don't have time for this!' Tobias said to himself as he peaked over his shoulder to see the Hive that had been pursuing him arriving at the doorway. Jumping into the air, Tobias used Blink to skip over the Wizards and begin sprinting up another long staircase.

Inside of Tobias, his Ghost was examining him closely, taking note of the sudden exhaustion Tobias was experiencing. He had been fine up until he was attacked by the Thrall produced by the Taken Wizards. They must have been draining his Light. If they were run into more Taken, there was no telling how long Tobias would be able to keep fighting. They had to get out of here, fast!

* * *

"Oh my God, why are there so many of these guys!" Carmen exclaimed as she gunned down another squadron of Taken Thrall. They had been venturing down the tunnels in peace for a while, but as soon as they came down to an open room, they discovered a Hive Seeder firmly entrenched in the heart of a room, with hundreds of Hive and Taken roaming around it on a walkway that spiraled around the Seeder.

"It doesn't help that we're by a Seeder." Petra pointed out as she fired away at their enemies with a pair of Vestian Dynasty's, the side arms that were signature to the Awoken Royal Guard.

"As long as it's open, they'll keep coming!" Niko declared as he glanced down at the small walkway beneath the Seeder where the army of Thrall and Acolytes were coming out.

"If we knock out the supports holding it up, we can send it crashing down into the pits below." Diana said after quickly scouting out the structure. There were numerous beams that held the Seeder up in place, but if they could destroy enough of them, they could send this Seeder to its demise down below.

"Sounds like a plan!" Niko said as he summoned a gray pistol in his hands which became ignited with Solar Light. "Cover me, I'm going to knock out the beams down below."

"We got it!" Diana hollered as Niko jumped over the ledge, landing on a small platform on the walls surrounding the Seeder to get a better angle on the support beams. Raising his Golden Gun, Niko fired at one beam, watching with a small smile as the flames seared through the column with ease.

"Carmen, we need your Golden Gun down here!" Niko called out as he jumped back up to join them on the walkway where the Hive were approaching them.

"I'm on it." Carmen said as she activated her Golden Gun and jumped down to the platform Niko had been standing on. From down below, Carmen could see just how massive a Hive Seeder was, and the thought this thing being sent to Earth to further the Hive's efforts against humanity only fueled her desire to destroy it. Raising her weapon, Carmen quickly spotted a pair of beams which she burned through immediately before she searched for a target for her last shot.

But as she looked around for a final beam to shoot, the Hive Seeder began to creak loudly as the weight of the structure began to pull it down now that its bottom support had been removed.

"Carmen, get out of there!" Diana shouted after seeing that upper support beams couldn't bear the weight. It was going down!

Carmen was quick to follow Diana's orders as she returned to the team of the walkway who quickly put some distance between themselves and the Seeder as it tore down parts of the wall with it. Niko whistled at the sight of the Seeder disappearing down into the pit, followed by some silence before there was a small tremor when it finally made contact with the ground below.

"Awesome!" Carmen exclaimed as she threw her fist in the air, but the battle was far from over. The Hive and Taken that remained came charging at the Guardians, but as they fought now their numbers began to dwindle until there was nothing left, allowing the team to proceed.

"Excellent work." Petra noted as the group peered down into the pit, but a fog at the bottom prevented them from seeing the remains of the Hive Seeder.

"Let's keep going, if things are like this for us, I can only imagine what's going further down." Diana said as she motioned for them to start moving again.

* * *

Tobias held his side as he leaned against a small rock, gasping in pain. His chest was aching, his lungs were on fire, and his head was spinning. Escaping those Wizards was the last positive thing to take place as he proceeded up the Hive tunnels. There had been a few minutes of peace before he arrived at what was likely his worst nightmare.

A Hive Seeder rested at the center of a large room that was loaded with Hive and Taken, all of which seemed to be waiting for him. He only had a few places to hide, but they were ineffective at best as he was swarmed by their enemies that occupied this room. He fought them tooth and nail, but there were just too many in this room for him to take care since the Hive Seeder was replacing anything he killed. But to make matters worse, as he fought the Taken they continued to sap him of his strength. He was so fatigued that he could barely muster the strength to summon the Light.

"Ghost, you can't make a transmat for me down here?" Tobias asked desperately as he reloaded his pulse rifle, panting heavily.

"The interference being generated by the Taken and the Hive is blocking everything. There's no chance that we can escape." His Ghost responded grimly. "At least things can't get any worse."

Hearing a roar, Tobias felt his heart stop as he realized that the Hive he had escaped from down below had arrived at this level and would soon be flooding into the room.

"You just had to open your big mouth huh?" Tobias said, causing his Ghost to look away sheepishly. "Eh, it doesn't matter. This might be it."

With a grunt Tobias forced himself to his feet, giving away his position to the enemies in the room. In front of him stood a massive horde that were all staring at him, and behind him was another massive group of Hive that were coming in through the small doorway. This was his last stand.

With a deep breath, Tobias drew out what strength his could as he pulled out his tanto. Charging his weapon and himself with Arc Light, Tobias became bright blue as he entered Arc Blade. He wasn't going down easily. Not by a long shot. They came charging at him, roaring and screeching as they surrounded the lone Guardian.

Everything became slow for Tobias as he heard his heart thump loudly, ringing in his ears.

 _Ba-Bump_

He shut his eyes for a moment, and the next moment he opened them he was gutting a Knight with his blade. Tobias shut his eyes once more and when they opened again he was airborne, palming the head of a Wizard which he then ferociously slammed into the floor.

 _Ba-Bump!_

Tobias wildly lashed out a group of Thrall, unleashing a shockwave of Arc energy that rippled through his enemies, vaporizing all of them.

 _Ba-Bump!_

Tobias knew he was screaming, his mouth was wide open, but he couldn't hear his own voice. His hands were clenched tightly around the handle of his tanto as he charged at an Orge that was guarding the base of the Hive Seeder. He fearlessly jumped the Orge and pieced its stomach with his blade and enlarged the blade, slaying the beast.

 _Ba-Bump!_

Tobias cried out in pain as he swarmed by Thrall who drained enough Light from him to deactivate his Arc Blade. Tobias shut his eyes again and when they opened he was looking at the floor, his feet shuffling beneath him. The room was spinning out of control before he finally went tumbling to the ground.

 _Ba-Bump!_

Tobias rested on his side, too weak to even move. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see a Taken Wizard hovering over him, outstretching its hands toward him. Tobias could feel its grasp on him, taking what little strength he had left. This was it. Shutting his eyes, Tobias drew in what felt like his last breath.

This is where he would die. In the pits of the Hive deep within Earth's Moon…

He wouldn't be able to see anyone he knew and cared about again. Niko, Carmen…Diana. Trisha and Cody. Fireteam Salamander. He wouldn't be able to see any of them.

Feeling the grasp of the Wizard suddenly vanish, Tobias fought to open his eyes to see what was taking place. It was blurry, but he was certain that it was nothing but chaos around him. What was happening?

* * *

"Oh crap, another Seeder." Carmen muttered as the team entered a large room, and just as they expected it was jam packed with enemies. But they were all preoccupied with something, failing to even notice the presence of the new Guardians.

"What's going on over there?" Niko asked as his helmet zoomed in on the Taken and Hive that surround a body that was resting on the floor.

"It's Tobias!" Diana's Ghost shouted as it took shape beside her. "His Light is weak! Really, really weak!"

This sent a chill down everyone's spine as they realized that Tobias was likely clinging to his life at the moment. And this sent Diana into a frenzy!

"Get away from him!" She screamed as she Blinked into the air, summoning Void Light into her hands which she hurled at the floor in three separate projectiles. The Shatter Nova Bomb cleared away the Hive and Taken surrounding Tobias, allowing Diana to land beside him where she discovered that not only was his Light weak, but he was covered in wounds. His robes had been torn, cut and stained with his blood.

"Diana, is he okay?!" Niko asked as he, Carmen and Petra quickly jumped around her, forming a perimeter to hold off the opposition.

"No, he's dying. We have to get him out of here and give him some treatment." Diana declared as she scooped her arms underneath Tobias's knees and back before hoisting him up, showing her strength considering Tobias was much larger than her. "Let's go!"

 **Ocean of Storms**

 **Temple of Crota**

"Ghost, we need a transmat to Diana's ship right now!" Niko barked at his Ghost as the team of five came sprinting out from the entrance to the Hive tunnels. They had finally escaped from the heavy interference now that they were back on the surface of the Moon. They were now free to leave.

"I already had one prepared." His Ghost replied as Niko was warped into the cabin of Diana's ship, followed immediately by the rest of the team.

Now that they had finally made it to safety, Diana dropped Tobias down onto the one of the benches so that he could be examined by Petra and herself. Ripping off his garments, Diana quickly noticed that none of the wounds he had received were closing up.

"He's not healing." She stated as she took of her helmet and tossed it aside. "Ghost, we need the medic kit in the cockpit."

"Got it." The drone replied as it instantly warped the supplies they were looking for to them.

"He'll bleed to death if we don't stop the bleeding." Diana stated as she fished some bandages out of the kit.

"What are you going crazy for? We have his Ghost so we can just revive him." Carmen stated, but she was taken aback by the sharp stare Diana hit her with.

"Tobias isn't like us. If he dies, he's not coming back." She stated as Petra lifted Tobias up a bit for Diana to begin covering the wounds on his back. "That why we can't…lose him."

"Someone start the trip to the Reef. The sooner we get there the sooner we can get him some real treatment from the doctors there." Petra stated.

"Yes ma'am!" Niko said with a salute before dashing into the cockpit to begin piloting the ship.

"Just stay with us Tobias." Diana said softly to him as the ship lunged forward, beginning their trip to the Reef. Petra felt raised her eyebrows at bit at the sight of Diana becoming so emotional over Tobias. This was unexpected, but she couldn't bare the sight of her cousin in so much pain.

"This is Petra Venj reporting in. The mission to Earth's Moon was a success, but Tobias has sustained some severe wounds that are threatening his life. We need a medical team on standby as soon as we dock." Petra said before nodding as she got her response from the Vestian Outpost. "Don't worry Diana; he's going to be taken care of as soon as we get back to the Reef."

 **The Reef**

 **Vestian Outpost**

 **Medical Bay**

"I'm sorry, but you can't come any further." One of the medics declared, halting Diana and Petra who could only watched as Tobias was taken into an operating room on a hovering gurney. "We'll handle everything from here."

Diana bit down on her lower lip as she looked away from the medic who joined the rest of the team in the operating room. Spotting a small bench, Diana dropped herself down on the seat, trying to calm herself down.

"Diana, are you alright?" Petra asked her as she took a seat beside her.

"How can I be alright?!" Diana exclaimed as she looked at Petra incredulously. "Tobias nearly died today!"

"I understand that-" Petra began, but she was interrupted by Diana.

"I should have never let him go on by himself. Now because of that stupid decision I may never see him again!" Diana said scornfully.

"Diana, what exactly is he to you?" Petra asked Diana now that she had blown off a bit of steam.

"What do you mean?" She asked Petra, giving her a narrow glance.

"Well if I didn't know any better, I'd think you liked him." Petra stated, causing Diana to scoff.

"No, he's a member of Undaunted. He's like family!" Diana exclaimed.

"So why are you so bothered by this Diana? You we angry when you lost your family to the Wolves in the Reef Wars, but you didn't shed any tears." Petra pointed out, surprising Diana who now realized that there were tears trickling down her cheeks. "You only met him a few months ago, right?"

Diana was silent for a few moments as she wiped away her tears. She knew why this eating away at her so much. No matter how much she tried to keep him out of her mind, the thought of Briggs being lost in time because of Skolas continued to resurface. She couldn't bear the thought of losing another member of her fireteam.

She had spent so many years fighting alongside Niko and Briggs that she thought they were invincible. They were no way they could be killed, but the loss of Briggs was a wakeup call for her. And finding Tobias in such of a state scared her.

"I guess it's because I lost everything here that I became so possessive as a Guardian. Especially since we couldn't be killed completely. I got used to being able to bring back my allies that I thought I'd never lose them. It felt like it was right since everyone I knew and loved was killed here by the Wolves" Diana explained. "I didn't want to feel the pain of losing someone again, and for a while I thought that I'd never have to feel that again. But when Briggs, my former commander, was lost…I didn't know what to do."

Petra remained silent, allowing Diana to speak freely.

"And now, seeing Tobias like that, it hurt. I may have only known him for a little while, but I got used to no one dying. Seeing my teammates, my family getting picked off…I'm scared." Diana went on. "Scared that I won't be able to help them when they need me most, like my family during the Reef Wars."

Petra could understand Diana's feelings. She wasn't foreign to the pain of losing of loved one, and she could understand how Diana had grown accustomed to not losing anyone as well. It must have been scary to think about losing a fellow Guardian once you've grown used to bringing them back in the heat of battle.

 **10 Hygiea**

 **Hanger**

"We're back!" Carmen proclaimed as the bottom of the cabin opened up, revealing that Zavala, Ikora and the Speaker had been anxiously waiting for them to return.

"There's not a moment to waste." The Speaker declared as trio quickly scaled the ramp and entered the ship, joining Carmen and Niko inside. "If we hurry we can still save Tobias' life."

"Where are we headed?" Niko asked as he returned to his seat in the cockpit.

"To the Traveler."

Soon enough they were flying outside of the asteroid that housed the remainder of mankind, circling around it in search of the Traveler which had been orbiting the asteroid.

"There it is." The Speaker said as they located the Traveler's current position. "Is Tobias' Ghost with us?"

"Yup, I'm right here." It said, taking shape beside Carmen who it had been entrusted to after they had dropped Tobias off at the Vestian Outpost.

"I can show you where the shard goes, but it's up to you to actually place it." The Speaker informed the drone who shivered at the prospect of restoring the Traveler.

"I've, got this." Ghost said slowly as they circled around the Traveler, allowing the Speaker to search for the location where the shard belonged. On the upper hemisphere of the Traveler, there was a sizable fissure in it that matched the size of the shard they had escaped the Moon with. "That's it right?"

"Correct." The Speaker said with a nod. "Go ahead."

Ghost vanished, leaving the ship to get closer to the Traveler. Once it reappeared, it was nothing more than a small speck to the Guardians in the ship.

"Well, it's all or nothing here." It said as it began to summon back the shard. It was slow process as the shard was warped back, but as it took shape it began to resonate with the Traveler, shinning brilliantly.

"Amazing." Ikora said softly. All of them were left speechless at the sight as Ghost carefully maneuvered the shard, sliding it back into place. The cracks that had formed around the fissure began to close up as the wound to the Traveler was finally healed. There was a moment of silence before the Traveler lit up, bathing them all in its Light.

Inside the ship, every Guardian shut their eyes as they were embraced by the Traveler's Light. They had never felt anything like this before! It was so soothing, putting everyone at ease. All over 10 Hygiea, Guardians came to a stop as they felt the Light of the Traveler being cast onto them. They had never felt it feel so powerful before.

 **Vestian Outpost**

 **Medical Bay**

Diana stood beside a large glass tube that contained Tobias. He was floating in a blue liquid with a mask covering his face to provide him with oxygen.

"There's not much we can do for him. Even though the damage done to his organs was minimal, they're still dying." One of the medics explained to Diana and Petra. "He doesn't have much time left."

"Are you serious?" Diana asked in a whisper as she approached the tube, placing a hand on the glass.

"I'm sorry miss, but there's nothing else we can do for him." The medic stated. "I'll leave to give you all some time alone with him."

Diana and Petra remained silent for a few moments even after the medic had left. Diana just couldn't believe it. She was going to lose someone else that she cared about and once again there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"Damn it." Diana muttered as she fell to her knees, clasping her hands together as she placed them over her chest. It hurt so much!

"Diana." Petra said softly as she kneeled down beside her, placing her arms around Diana to embrace her.

"Why does this keep happening to me?" Diana asked out loud. Was she cursed? Was she supposed to lose everyone that she loved? Who would be next?

Diana lowered her head, unable to stop her tears any longer. But as she began to sob, it felt as though a new pair of arms were wrapped around her. They held her tightly, filling her with warmth, even rubbing her back in an attempt to soothe her. But these weren't Petra's arms. Petra was still there though, but the comfort she was receiving from this embrace was far beyond what Petra could offer.

It was incredible…

 _Taking in a deep breath, Tobias finally opened his eyes in response to someone's touch._

 _"_ _Who's there?" He asked groggily, looking around in search of the person. But there was no one there. He was in an empty room by himself. "Hello?"_

 _"_ _Hello~." A new voice rang out, causing Tobias to whirl around._

 _"_ _Who's…there?" Tobias asked slowly, unable to find this person._

 _"_ _Oh Tobias, I'm hurt that you don't remember me." This voice said playfully. It was a woman's voice that was so calm and serene that it put him at ease despite his curiosity._

 _"_ _Hmm, no." Tobias said as he shook his head. "I can't recall your voice."_

 _"_ _That's a shame, but I guess that's what happens when I can't speak to you for hundreds of years." She continued. "I'm the Traveler."_

 _"_ _The Traveler, but how?"_

 _"_ _I've always been with you. From the moment you agreed to be a vessel for the Light at the end of the Collapse." She explained. "But the Hive have been draining me of what little strength I've had. I couldn't even speak to you for so long."_

 _And by freeing the shard, now the Traveler could speak again. Tobias nodded at the thought, it made it sense._

 _"_ _But only to you though." The Traveler added._

 _"_ _O-kay…so then can I ask you a couple of questions?" Tobias asked as he took a seat._

 _"_ _I don't see why not. Ask away."_

 _"_ _Is it really true that you can become some kind of super weapon?"_

 _"_ _You want to know if I can kill Oryx, right?" The Traveler asked in return, getting a nod from Tobias. "Well as much as I hate to say it, I can't anymore. That was my trump card so to speak, my trick at the bottom of the bag that I saved just for Oryx."_

 _"_ _So whatever it is you did during the Collapse, you can't do it again?" Tobias asked, looking for a straight answer this time._

 _"_ _No." She stated, causing Tobias to frown as he took a deep breath._

 _"_ _Crap." He muttered as began to stroke his chin. In the end their whole mission to restore the Traveler seemed to be a waste if it couldn't become the weapon they needed._

 _"_ _Hold on a second, I said that I can't help you. But that doesn't mean there's nothing you can't do." The Traveler pointed out, causing Tobias to furrow his brow._

 _"_ _What do you mean?"_

 _"_ _I'm powerless because I no longer the vessel of the Light. But Tobias, you are." The Traveler said. "You have no idea what kind of power you have inside of you, and now that you've restored the Light completely, I'm sure you've grown even stronger."_

 _You have no idea what kind of power you have inside of you. Someone else had said something similar._

 _'_ _And I also know that if this shard is returned to the Traveler, you'll gain an unimaginable power.' Titus said. Tobias' eyes became wide as his recent memories came flooding back into his head. His meeting with Titus. His desperate attempt to escape the Hive. And finally his final stand in the face of a Hive Seeder and an endless army._

 _"_ _Am I alive?!" Tobias exclaimed suddenly as he jumped to his feet._

 _"_ _Whoa, calm down Tobias." The Traveler said as a pair of hands were placed on his shoulders, trying to put him at ease. "You're alive and well. You have your friends to thanks for that."_

 _"_ _That made it to me?"_

 _"_ _Just in time too. They rushed you back to the Reef and you're in intensive care right now." The Traveler explained, allowing him to sigh in relief. Everything worked out._

 _"_ _Okay then…so what where you saying before about the Light being restored?" Tobias said, refocusing their conversation._

 _"_ _Right. I was saying that the Hive have been draining the Light from you, denying you a majority of your power. But now with that out of the way, I'm certain that you'll have the power to defeat Oryx." The Traveler said confidently._

 _"_ _So what's this power you're talking about?"_

 _"_ _The Radiant Light. You've being using the Light, but you have yet to use it to its fullest potential." The Traveler revealed._

 _"_ _Can you tell me how to use it?" Tobias inquired hopefully._

 _"_ _I've never seen you use it. The Hive have been draining Light from you since you became the vessel. So this is the first time you've ever had access to the Radiant Light." The Traveler explained. "I'm sure when the time is right, you'll understand how to wield it."_

 _"_ _Hmm…" Tobias groaned with disappointment at this. Oryx was an immediate threat, and the answer to defeating him was still shrouded with mystery._

 _"_ _Don't frustrate yourself over this Tobias. I doubt you remember, but there was a time where you were completely alone in every battle you fought. Now you have allies. Prepare yourself with them, and I'm certain you'll find victory." The Traveler said. "In fact, there's someone waiting for you on the other side."_

 _"_ _Waiting for me?"_

Diana sniffled a bit as she wiped away her tears now that the warm embrace had faded away. She didn't know who or what it was, but it was exactly what she needed at the moment.

"Whoa Diana, look." Petra said softly, causing Diana to look up at the small unit that contained Tobias. He had a faint golden glow surrounding him that contrasted the blue within the tube. It began to grow larger and larger as the heart monitor began to speed up.

"No way." Diana exclaimed as Tobias' eyes opened slowly. He blinked a few times before he recognized Diana and Petra. He reached out for them, placing his hand on the glass.

"I'll get one of the doctors." Petra said as she quickly left the room in search of someone that could free Tobias. It seemed as though all was lost. Tobias' life had been fading right in front of them and now all of a sudden he was back. Diana couldn't explain it, but it didn't matter to her as she rose up, placing her hand on the glass as well, lining it up with Tobias.

The glow Tobias possessed grew larger, cracking the glass at first but then it shattered causing the liquid inside to come spilling out onto the floor as Tobias dropped down to his feet. Tobias fought with the mask that had concealed his nose and mouth for a bit, earning a laugh from Diana as she tried to aid him, but it would not release its grasp on him.

Soon enough though, a pair of medics came rushing into the room with Petra where they were shocked to find Tobias standing on his own two feet in the remains the tube he had previously contained inside of.

"I don't believe this." One of the medics muttered as they completed their examination of Tobias. "You were as good as gone, and yet…here you are."

"You Guardians never fail to amaze us." The other added as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Heh, you're telling me." Tobias said with a small grin. He couldn't believe that he was alive either.

"Everything checks out, so you're free to go whenever you're ready." The medics said before they left Tobias with Diana and Petra.

There was a bit of silence as Diana approached him slowly, and before Tobias could say anything she wrapped her arms around him.

"Welcome back." Diana said softly to him.

"It's good to be back." Tobias said with a chuckle.

"And just so you know Tobias, don't ever try leaving us. You're not allowed to." She added, causing him to wrinkle his forehead as he processed what she was saying. After a few moments, Tobias nodded slowly as he returned her embrace.

"I don't plan on it Diana."

 **4 Vesta**

 **Vestian Web**

 **Palace**

Once again, the highest ranking authority among the Guardians had gathered before the Awoken Queen. But the atmosphere in the room was much lighter than it had been during their last few meetings. Things were finally starting to turn around.

The Dreadnaught had left the Inner Planets, the Guardians had succeeded in retrieving the shard of the Traveler, and it looked like now was the time for them to reclaim Earth.

"You're all certain that you're ready to return to Earth?" Uldren inquired as he studied the expressions of the Guardians that stood at the base to the Queen's throne. There was no doubt in anyone's eyes. "You're home isn't going to be anything like what you remember."

"We're well aware of that. Our secondary base on Earth has been giving us full reports on the activities of the Hive and Taken." Zavala replied. "We know exactly what we're walking into."

"If you feel that you are ready, then press the offensive." The Queen said with a nod. "Your people may remain in our realm until Oryx is defeated."

* * *

A/N

Wow, my apologies for not posting for some time. I've been absorbed in a lot of things, and now RoI dropped so I really don't see myself writing much at the moment. I've played through a fair amount of RoI so far, and it's AMAZING! I sincerely hope that this is the direction they take with Destiny going forward, because they did outstanding!

I don't know when I'll get around to posting again at the moment. Perhaps when things start to slow down a bit, but then again, who's going to be reading when they could be playing RoI? So until we meet again Guardians, keep up the good work!


	21. Reclaiming Earth : The Warmind

**Chapter 21**

* * *

 **10 Hygiea**

"You're really going back?" Cody exclaimed at the news Tobias had shared with him and Trisha. The announcement had gone out the day before to the Guardians that they would be returning to Earth. Oryx had left the Earth for reasons the Vanguard was unable to determine, but nevertheless, now was the time to act. They were going to take their home back.

"Yup." Tobias replied with a nod.

"But isn't it dangerous there?" Cody continued tentatively.

"That's true, but I have to." Tobias stated. "Someone has to go and fix everything right?"

"Mhmm."

"That's what the rest of the Guardians and I are going to do. And when the Earth is all fixed up, you can come back too." Tobias said as ruffled Cody's hair. "I'll be there waiting for you."

"Awesome, I can't wait to go back." Cody said before looking toward his mother. "Right mom?"

"That's right sweetie." She said, giving him a warm smile. "Now why don't you get washed up for bed."

"Okay." Cody said as he hopped off the sofa and dashed off into one of the corridors, heading for the bathroom. There was short silence now that the two of them were alone, which was unusual for them.

Tobias had been coming by to visit them almost daily since they had arrived on 10 Hygiea, helping them with anything they needed whether it was small shopping trips or a little help around the house. He was attached to them now, and when it was announced that they were going back to Earth, Tobias realized he wouldn't be able to see them for quite some time.

"So when do you think you'll be back?" Trisha asked him.

"I really don't know. The Vanguard hasn't briefed us entirely yet. They just announced that we're going back." Tobias replied, much to Trisha's dismay as she looked at him with concern.

"No details or anything?"

"No." Tobias stated, shaking his head.

"Well then, I guess the only thing I can do is wish you luck." She said as she moved closer to him on the sofa, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Please come back in one piece for us."

Looking directly into her concern filled eyes, Tobias could only that wish that time could freeze so that he could stare at her forever. He still couldn't figure out what it was about her that drove him crazy, whether it was her eyes, or her smile. It felt so familiar, as if she had been by his side for years. But that wasn't possible…right?

"Don't you worry, I'll be just fine. And once the Earth is clear again, I'll be waiting for the two of you there." Tobias stated, giving her a small grin of confidence. "Once they build a concert hall down there, I'm going to make sure that you're on that stage one day so that everyone can hear you play."

"Don't get ahead of yourself now." Trisha said as she put her hands up in defense now.

"I don't understand why you're being so reserved. The point is the share your music with everyone, not keep it to yourself." Tobias pointed out as the tension in the room dispersed.

"I'll share it when I'm ready." She retorted through pursed lips, folding her arms in front of her chest.

"Yeah but I'll die of old age before that." Tobias said under his breath, earning a laugh from Trisha.

"What was that?" She said as she gave him a small push.

"I'm sure you heard me." Tobias responded as his Ghost took shape beside him.

"Tobias, don't forget that you have people waiting on you." His Ghost reminded him before disappearing once again.

"Hmm, well I guess that my cue to leave." Tobias noted as he rose up from the sofa.

"I'll see you out then." Trisha said as she joined him in heading toward the front door.

"You're leaving already?" Cody exclaimed as came back just in time to see that Tobias was stepping out the front door.

"Sorry kiddo, duty calls." He said as Trisha picked up Cody.

"Good luck Tobias." Trisha said as Cody gave him a nod of agreement.

The three of them shared a quick hug, and embrace that Tobias would never forget. Once they separated, Tobias said one last good bye to them, earning a wave in response as he began walking down the corridor. Trisha and Cody said a silent pray, hoping that Tobias would make it through his next battle safely. Rounding a corner, Tobias spotted the elevator that would take him down to the ground floor.

"Aww, that was adorable Tobias." A voice said, causing Tobias to jump out of his skin. Whirling around, he turned just in time to see Niko become visible behind him with a toothy grin on his face.

"Were you eavesdropping?" Tobias exclaimed at him.

"Heh, I wouldn't know." Niko said playfully. "I think it's cute that you have your own little family though."

"My own, family?" Tobias repeated as they proceeded to the elevator.

"Yeah. You were saying good bye to them like you were heading off to war, although that's kind of what's happening." Niko noted as they entered the elevator and began traveling down to the ground floor.

Tobias had never given it much thought, but he could see what Niko was talking about. He did treat them like they were his family. The small memory he had of his wife and son resurfaced, causing Tobias' head to swirl as he replaced the two of them Trisha and Cody. Was he allowed to do that? Shaking his head a bit, Tobias shook off the thoughts as he decided to focus on the task at hand.

They were going back to Earth to eliminate the threat of Oryx's armies. The Vanguard had called for all of the Guardians to gather for a full briefing on the situation on Earth.

* * *

The Guardians had gathered in large hall, similar to Consensus Hall back in the Last City. It was nowhere near as extravagant and well designed as Consensus Hall, but it was large enough for all of the Guardians to attend for this briefing.

There was a large stage toward the front of the auditorium where everyone could see that Vanguard Mentors were standing; double checking to make sure that everyone was present. Soon enough they called for everyone's attention, putting an end to the chatter that had filled the room.

"Guardians, I'm sure you all have heard that we will be returning to Earth later this week." Zavala began. "But I'm sure many of you have a list of questions concerning how we're going to carry out this operation."

And this was true. There was an endless of things that everyone had been discussing since the announcement the day before. What was the condition of the Last City? What were they going to use as base to launch this campaign against the Taken? Since they had been gone for nearly five months now, what had Oryx's forces done to their home? The list went on and on.

"So I think we'll start with the most obvious one. What does Earth look like right now." Zavala declared as his Ghost took shape beside him, projecting an image of the Earth for the audience. The Earth rotated for a few moments before it came to a stop with the eastern hemisphere facing the crowd, although compared to the western side of the planet, the east had gone dark. "These are images of what the Taken have done since arriving on the Earth."

Several screenshots were blown up for all to see. Most of the shots were dark, the sky hazy and within each shot there were dozens of Taken Blights in each picture, sucking the life out of everything within their radius.

"The entire eastern hemisphere has been lost the Taken." Zavala revealed to them all. "They have yet to advance beyond that, which is why we are going to take the initiative and launch a campaign to eliminate them before they can take what's left of our home."

"Did you see how many of those Blights there were?"

"We could barely defend ourselves in the Last City, how are we going to fight that many of them at once?"

Whispers flew around the room, but they were put to rest as Ikora called for their attention.

"You all have been preparing for this battle since we left Earth." Ikora began. "There's no reason to start doubting yourselves now. The other Mentors and I have seen the progress that all of you have made with your new sub-classes, and as Guardians. We wouldn't be launching this campaign if we didn't have the utmost confidence in you."

This put many of their doubts to rest as many of them realized that they were indeed much stronger than when they had left the City. Patrolling areas, aiding the citizens and watching over the walls of the Last City took away time Guardians could use to hone their skills. But they didn't have any of these duties during the last few months, giving them an abundance of time to better themselves. And that was exactly what they had done. There was no reason for doubt.

"Now it's still going to be a tough fight, so be prepared to scrap if you have to." Cayde warned them. "Fortunately, you weren't the only ones preparing the for the day that we would go back to Earth. Our weapon foundries have been developing a number of new weapons for us to take into battle."

"Dang man, the Taken won't even know what hit them!"

"You got that right!"

They were itching to get into battle now, eager to see their improvement, and anxious to reclaim the Earth.

The Speaker then stepped out onto the stage, joining the Vanguard Mentors in front of the audience of Guardians.

"The Traveler will remain in the Reef until this campaign is complete. Once the Earth has been liberated, the Traveler and all of mankind will return." The Speaker declared, pumping up the Guardians even more.

Tobias had a small smirk on his face at the thought of going down into the battlefield that Earth had become. Closing his hands into tight fists, he couldn't wait as well. He was just as determined as everyone else.

 _"_ _I'm amazed that Reginald is still looking out for me, even when my physical form is dormant."_ The Traveler said, causing Tobias to look up in confusion.

'Reginald?' Tobias repeated. 'Who the heck is that?'

 _"_ _The man in white down there."_

 _'_ You know who he is?' Tobias exclaimed.

 _"_ _Yes, he spent a great deal of time studying me during the Golden Age. In fact he's one of the few humans to meld his mind with my own."_ The Traveler explained. _"I'm shocked you don't remember any of this Tobias."_

'Why would I?'

 _"_ _You were there with him."_

'What are you talking about?'

 _"_ _I'm saying that during the Golden Age, you and Reginald studied me together. You were very close back then, but I guess after losing your memory he decided not to fuss over too many of the details about the two of you."_

"No, I guess he didn't." Tobias said to himself as he gave the Speaker a narrow stare. He had no idea that the two of them even had a relationship beforehand. That was an interesting bit of information.

 **Hanger Bay**

Undaunted had gathered together on Diana's ship now that they had been cleared for departure. And all of them had a lot to share with each other. They had all gone running around from one weapon manufacturer to another, collecting the new weapons that had been produced, eager to test them out for themselves.

"Dude, this thing is kick ass!" Niko exclaimed as he showed the group the new sniper rifle he had received from Banshee. It had been dubbed the Stillpiercer by Banshee-44 and specially made for Hunters that were expert marksman.

"Big whoop, check out this!" Carmen hollered in return as she waved her new hand cannon. It was known as the Ace of Spades, a hand cannon that had been mass produced by Tex Mechanica that rewarded agility under fire.

"Tobias, did you receive one of these?" Diana asked as she displayed the new fusion rifle she had received from Ikora, the Susanoo. Ikora had shared with Diana that this fusion rifle was capable of altering its elemental damaged based on what type of Light the Guardian using it was channeling.

"Uh yeah." Tobias replied, recalling that he had received one as well. But that wasn't the only weapon had been given to him by Ikora. While he was visiting the Omolon weapon foundry he ran into Ikora who had actually been looking for him. She took him in to meet with some of the engineers that work for Omolon who had just finished another weapon that they wanted him to field test.

They called it the Tlaloc. But even though they said it was finished, the scout rifle still looked incomplete in his eyes; although they told him it's supposed to look that way. They explained to him that they had developed this weapon to feed off the excess energy that builds up within Guardians as they look for opportunities to use their supers, improving its performance as the Guardians were at their strongest as well.

"Whoa, where did you get that?" Diana exclaimed, prompting Tobias to share how he had received it from Omolon.

"Wait, why would they pick you to field test a weapon like that? You use your super constantly so I don't know how you'd make a good test subject when the point is to be conservative with it." Carmen pointed out.

"Actually Carmen, Tobias is the best test subject available." Tobias' Ghost interjected as it appeared in front of her, causing the small Hunter to jump from its sudden appearance. "Unlike the rest of you who have to build up energy to use your super or gather Orbs of Light, Tobias' seems to recharge instantly, which is why he is able to use them so haphazardly. While it's fair to say he always uses his super, it's because he always has it. That alone makes him the perfect test subject for the Tlaloc."

"Wow, thanks Ghost." Tobias said to his small partner who gave him a nod before disappearing once again. He had thought that the drone would be giving him the silent treatment or something similar after their little scuffle over the subject of Titus. But perhaps not, which was fine for Tobias.

"Attention all Guardians, we've received clearance from the Vestian Outpost to begin our trip to Earth. You may depart as soon as you're ready!" Zavala's voice boomed over the comms, reminding them that it was time to commence their mission.

"Well guys, are you ready?" Tobias asked as he each of them in the eyes, from Diana to Carmen and then to Niko.

"I was born ready!" Carmen stated in response as she pumped her fist.

"Ditto." Diana added, not even bothering to match Carmen's enthusiasm.

"I don't even think you need to ask me." Niko said as he put his hand out, waiting for the rest of them to put theirs on top of his own. One by one they placed their hands on top his, then they raised them together. "Let's go kick some ass."

 **Earth**

 **North America**

"Wait, wait, wait…repeat that for me." Niko said as he motioned for his Ghost to halt their briefing. They were still inside the cabin of Diana's ship, eagerly awaiting to arrive at their destination. During the trip to Earth, everyone's Ghosts had received all the information concerning the rendezvous point on Earth, information that had previously been kept secret from just about everyone.

"For about two decades now, the Vanguard has been constructing a new sanctuary in North America." His Ghost repeated for the team who was still just as dumbfounded even after hearing this a second time.

"So they've been building…another city?" Diana asked for clarification.

"It was in response to the Battle of Twilight Gap. Our highest priority is protecting mankind and the Traveler, and at the Battle of Twilight Gap, we had nowhere that we could go, we were stuck with our enemies encamped around us." Niko's Ghost went on. "The Vanguard said that they wouldn't allow that to happen again, and so they selected a location in North America, the remains of a city known as Chicago, and construction began."

"So they've been building this city for twenty years and none of us knew?" Diana asked, shocked that something like this flew under everyone's radar for so long.

"Believe me, when the Vanguard wants to keep a secret, no one is going to know." Ghost stated, causing most of them to raise an eyebrow at this.

"So what's this new city like?" Carmen asked curiously.

"It was modeled after the Last City, so I imagine that it will feel familiar to you all when we arrive." Ghost explained. "But the Vanguard still wants all to be more familiar with the city since it will be acting as our new base. So when we arrive, each of you will be joining the Guardians that watch over this city and assisting them with their duties."

"So basically it's like we're still in the Last City, just on the other side of the planet?" Niko clarified, earning a small nod from his Ghost.

"We'll be arriving shortly, so if you all come to the cockpit you can get your first look at Neo Chicago." Niko's Ghost explained as it invited them all to go into the cockpit. Bunching into the rather small area within the ship, the group could see out of the windows in front of them. They were flying above water, approaching a long and expansive cityscape that grew larger on the horizon.

In a matter of seconds they were flying over this city, Neo Chicago. The cockpit became filled with 'oohs' and 'awws' as the Guardians gawked at the city. It was practically sparkling as they flew over it. Compared to the Last City, the skyscrapers were taller, the roads were cleaner, the city itself was better, but the walls surrounding the city were still small. Clearly there were still some issues to be addressed, but it was clear to them that this place could definitely be the home for humanity and the Traveler.

"This is amazing!" Carmen exclaimed, eager to get closer look.

"We'll be arriving at the base in just a few moments." Niko's Ghost informed them. "I think you'll find it refreshingly familiar."

Landing on their feet after being warped out of their ship, Undaunted could agree that this was indeed a sight they had seen before. This courtyard was modeled after the Tower as well. There were numerous small details missing, like Banshee in his little corner, and the Xander the bounty tracker, but the courtyard they stood in right now was just like the Tower.

It was amazing to think that the Vanguard had been constructing this in secret for so long. It was hard to believe that this had been waiting for them all this time.

"Does this place have a name?" Carmen asked curiously, causing her own Ghost to form beside her.

"It was named recently actually, by the Speaker. He called it, the Mulligan." Her Ghost revealed, earning some confused glances from the rest of the group.

"The Mulligan?"

"Another shot, so to speak." Her Ghost clarified, causing all of them to look up at the banners that were flapping in the wind.

Another shot…

They had lost their first sanctuary, but this was an extra shot or attempt to keep humanity on Earth. They weren't going to let this one slip through their fingers.

"Come on, the bounty tracker has been moved down in the Hall of Guardians. You all have to go there to see what tasks you'll be tending to until we determine when we'll launch the campaign against the Taken." Carmen's Ghost said as it zipped away, heading to the heart of the plaza where the entrance to the Hall of Guardians was waiting for them.

Heading down into the tunnel, they discovered that it had been redecorated compared to how it looked in the Tower. Shaxx was nowhere to be found along with his assistant Arcite 99-40. In their place though was the Xander the bounty tracker who's board was significantly larger, spanning the entire length of the small area that belonged to the drone. Opposite of Xander was Banshee who was still setting up his stand and weapon displays in preparation for the Guardians that would likely be coming to him to prepare for the upcoming battle.

It was strange seeing these down in the Hall of Guardians for Diana and Niko. For years they had always visited these two out in the plaza, but it was nothing they wouldn't get used to after some time.

"Xander, long time no see." Niko said as he greeted the drone who turned slowly to face them.

"Indeed it has. Are you ready to get to work Guardian?" Xander asked in return, motioning to the board that was littered with tasks for them to tackle. "Unlike the Last City, the Guardians that had been stationed here have been stretched thin between constructing and patrolling. If you all wouldn't mind splitting into pairs to take on a few extra duties, it would be much appreciated."

"Yeah, of course Xander." Diana replied.

"I call Niko!" Carmen jumped in immediately, calling dibs on the tallest member of the team.

"Hunters unite!" Niko exclaimed as they gave each other a high five.

"Can you believe those two?" Diana asked Tobias as he stuck his tongue out at the two of them.

"I know, all flash and no substance." Tobias jeered.

"I seem to remember you digging these cloaks when we back to Twilight Gap Tobias." Niko pointed out with a sly grin, causing Tobias to chuckle nervously.

"Ahem." Xander said, earning their attention.

"So what do you have for us Xander?" Carmen inquired.

"For the first team, they'll be joining a number of fireteams beyond the perimeter of Neo Chicago. The Hive and Fallen have been kept at bay for years now, but with so many Guardians arriving, we've decided to press the offensive and begin clearing them out to make sure that this is a true sanctuary when the Traveler returns." Xander explained.

"We'll take it!" Carmen said eagerly as her Ghost appeared to collect the information from the board.

"And the second team will be joining the communications division below the base. There are dozens of scouting teams in the eastern hemisphere that need to be updated on the movements of the Taken from our satellites. A few extra eyes and ears could go a long way." Xander said after turning to Diana and Tobias.

Tobias shrugged, a bit disappointed that Niko and Carmen were heading out to the front lines while he was being tucked away beneath the base.

"We're on it." Diana said with a salute before slapping Tobias' back.

"What was that for?" He asked.

"Move with some pep, we're on duty now." Diana said to him with a small grin as she motioned for him to follow as her Ghost collected what they needed from the bounty board.

* * *

Tobias was astonished to say the least as he stepped out the elevator. The base above ground was just like the Tower back in the Last City, but there was a whole new world underneath it. There were multiple levels, barracks for the Guardians to rest, a cafeteria floor, bathrooms and showers, but as they went further now, they began to find the floors where Guardians were hard at work.

They could see a room with about six people studying a hologram, likely discussing different strategies to fight the Taken. It was very chaotic as it seemed as though everyone was rushing to finalize any plans for the campaign.

The floor they had arrived on was incredibly decorated, with prizes claimed from various battlefields mounted on the walls. But as they ventured through the halls, the decorations began to change from items collected in battle to relics from the Golden Age.

"You'll have to forgive them, the communications division shares their floor with some of the scientists that have been studying objects from the Golden Age." Diana's Ghost explained as they stopped by a funny looking statue. It was made of bronze of a man that seemed to be leaping through the air with his legs split far apart, one arm outstretched holding a sphere.

"Does he have to use the bathroom?" Diana asked, wondering why this man was in such an awkward pose. Tobias cracked up at this though.

"He's playing basketball Diana." Tobias stated.

"What's that?"

"It's a game that was really popular back in the Golden Age."

"Oh, so this guy is a basketball player?" Diana asked, getting a nod from Tobias. "Do you know who he is?"

"No, I don't think I ever seen him before." Tobias replied with a shrug.

"Don't get distracted you two. There are people waiting on you." Tobias' Ghost reminded them.

"Right, right, let's keep moving." Tobias said as he kept moving. Diana took one last look at the statue with a frown before following Tobias as they ventured down a long corridor before arriving at the entrance to the communications division.

The doors separated, allowing them to peer into the massive room. It was loaded with teams of operators working in pairs as they closely examined the projected maps in front of them, sorting through any information they were receiving from the scouting teams. Out of all the places they had seen so far, this room held the most chaos and confusion to anyone that happened to be passing by as operators were barking out orders and passing along information.

"Hey!" A voice boomed at them over the ruckus. A both Diana and Tobias' surprise, such a big voice came from a rather small man. "Are you two the temps they sent us?!"

"Yeah!" Diana shouted in return.

"Good, put these on!" He said, tossing each of them a headset that silenced all of the shouting that filled the room. "Can you hear me now?"

"Much better." Tobias noted.

"Good. This is going to be your line of communication with the team you'll be escorting. Your hub is set up over here." The man explained as he motioned for them to follow him through the crowded area.

"Escorting?"

"Yeah, you'll be acting as guides for a scouting team. They're returning to the Russian Cosmodrome, and area that has a heavy Taken presence. You two are responsible for keeping them informed on the movements of the enemy." He explained as they arrived at their hub. "I'm going to leave the two of you here, and thanks for your assistance today."

Without even introducing himself the man disconnected himself from their line and disappeared into the crowd once again, leaving the two of them by their hub which lit up as they were then connected with the team they were working with.

"Hello?" A voice called out curiously.

"Hey." Diana said in return as their map took shape above the hub, showing them an area that Diana and Tobias were very familiar with. The Forgotten Shore.

"This is fireteam Dustdrift calling in. We're ready to land on the Forgotten Shore, do we have clearance?" A male voice asked. Tobias and Diana's eyes darted all over the map, scanning it for anything of not. The area seemed to be empty for the most part, but as they examined an abandoned building on top of a hill, they noticed a number of Taken Blights around its entrance.

"The Taken presence is low. You're clear to land." Diana replied.

"Awesome, we're going in then."

"What are you guys checking in this area anyway?" Tobias asked curiously as their ship appeared on the map, heading down to the shoreline where it dropped a trio of small circles that were labeled with the first name of each Guardian. Hank, Amelia and Audrey.

"The last team that came through this area reported that they were picking up a strange signal. But at the team the Taken presence was heavy here, so they were forced to leave. We were sent back to investigate now." Amelia explained for them.

"Let me guess, the signal is coming from that building at the top of the hill in between the two wrecked ships." Tobias said.

"Yup." They replied. Figures that it would be the only place that the Taken seemed to be.

"Well it looks like you guys are in for a fight." Diana noted as zoomed in on the map, focusing on the entrance to the building. There were three Blights outside of it with a number of Taken opponents gathered around each of them.

"That's nothing new for us. We've been scouting this side of the planet for weeks now so we've gotten into our fair share of scuffles with these guys." Hank replied confidently. "We can hold our own."

"Alright, approach once you're ready." Diana said as they completed their final prep before summoning their sparrows. The team approached quickly, hopping off their sparrows about halfway up the hill as they approached the first Blight. Tobias grinned a bit as they stormed through the enemies, eliminating the Blight from the map he was looking it as they proceeded onto the next one.

In no time at all they had torn through the enemies and now stood before the entrance to the broken down building. Venturing inside, Diana then zoomed in on the building and raised the map, giving them an inside view of the building. But the images they had were outdated and come a stop after a few flights of stairs.

"We don't have any recent imaging of this building so you all have to give us a live feed." Diana said.

"Sure thing." Audrey replied as they began to descend down a staircase. Tobias watched in amazement as the team continued forward as the map adjusted, updating its imagery to the current appearance of the building. And it was mess in comparison. There was a black ooze splattered all over the walls and ceiling that was clearly unnerving the trio of Guardians as they proceeded further down.

"What the heck is this stuff?" Amelia asked.

"Some kind of extraterrestrial goop." Hank said in reply.

"There are enemies on the floor beneath us." Audrey pointed out as they readied their weapons.

"Be careful, we don't have any information on what's taking place down there." Diana warned them.

"Don't worry, this is nothing we haven't handled before." Hank replied. "Are you girls ready?"

Tobias could only assume that they give him a nod before they moved in, heading into an area that wasn't displayed on the map. The end of their staircase led down into a small room with numerous diamond shaped entrances protruding from the walls.

Gunfire filled the comms as they three of them battled with the enemies that filled the room.

"Watch the Knight!" Hank shouted. "Keep track of your position now, there's fire everywhere!"

"The Vandals are hiding in their bubble, focus on the Knight first and we'll take care of them next!" Amelia called out.

"The Knight's down, let's wrap this up!" Audrey added as they three of them then rushed the remaining enemies, cleaning them up with ease.

"Nice work guys." Diana commented before eyeing Tobias who was drumming his fingers on the side of the hub. She could tell he wanted to be in the action as well.

"What's in there?" Tobias asked as he leaned in, trying to get a closer look at the room that was updating now that they could freely examine it.

"One of these tunnels, they're open." Audrey noted.

"And there's a ton of this goo all over the place in there." Amelia added.

"What about the signal you're tracking?" Diana asked.

"It's still going, and it's even louder down here." Hank replied, clearly irritated that not even his helmet could drown it out.

"Can your Ghosts transmit the signal to us?' Diana inquired, causing their Ghosts to go to work. Soon enough, Diana and Tobias could hear what their team was hearing down in this bunker. "Oh, yikes."

Whatever she was listening to, it was a jumbled mess. But Tobias seemed to freeze as he listened to the notes. This wasn't just some signal. This was a song, a song that he had definitely heard before. But where?

 _Tobias sat on a small bench with Trisha on his right, their hands raised as the metronome in front of them ticked back and forth._

 _"_ _Go." Trisha mouthed to him and their hands dropped down onto the keys of the piano. Things were slow for them at first as Tobias played the harmony, but soon they arrived at the meaty part, where the melody began. Trisha right hand raced up and down the higher notes, stringing together a breath taking sound that simply amazed Tobias._

"I've heard this song before." Tobias stated suddenly as he snapped out of his thoughts. To his surprise though, he had missed quite a bit. The team on the Forgotten Shore had advanced further below the building, revealing an incredibly developed bunker had been hidden beneath the abandoned building above. "What is all of this?"

"It's some kind of bunker. It was probably sealed but the Taken managed to get in." Diana explained for him. "Now what were you saying?"

"Oh right, this signal. Well, I mean, it's not just a signal. It's a song." He explained.

"Does that mean anything though?" Hank asked him as they proceeded down a long corridor.

"I don't know, I've just heard it before." Tobias said as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Well how about we stay focused on what's going on down here." Hank suggested, getting a nod from Tobias.

"It's a mess, but there's no Taken in here." Audrey informed them.

"Well that's good. I've been tracking the source of the signal, it's coming from a room father down." Diana explained. "If you keep going you'll see a staircase on your right, it'll take you up to the entrance to the room."

"We're on our way." Hank stated as the group began to jog, heading straight for the destination since there was no opposition in sight. Heading up to the entrance, the discovered a set of large windows that allowed them to peer into the room. It was large and circular, with a structure at the heart of the room that traveled up into the ceiling with dozens of enormous wires hanging down.

"What is that?" Tobias exclaimed as the images came up on the live feed. Diana though decided that it was high time they called over one of the commanding officers. This mission was clearly starting to veer off the course anyone had imagined it would take.

"I have no idea." Hank replied to Tobias.

"The doors on both sides are sealed, there must be another way in." Amelia called out after having checked both doors.

"No, I don't think so. There's a hub over here, maybe it needs some kind of code." Audrey suggested.

"Probably." Tobias said as a pair of Guardians now approached him and Diana to see the progress their team had made. The new duo needed a moment as they changed the channel of their headset until they were linked this this team now.

"Alright, what's the situation?" The commander asked as he bent over to examine the map, furrowing his brow as he failed to identify this location.

"We were tracing a signal coming from the Forgotten Shore in the Russian Comsodrome. We followed it down into a bunker that the Taken have clearly been inside of, but we've reached a point where we can't go any further." Diana explained.

"And it looks like the Taken couldn't go any further either." Amelia pointed out.

"Should we proceed?" Diana asked as she looked toward the two commanding officers.

"Have you been able to determine what the source of this signal is?" The commander asked now as he stroked his chin.

"It's coming from some kind of computer. But its sealed off in another room."

"A computer?" The two officers shared a glance at each other as a possibility sprung up in their heads. "You don't think it could be…?"

"Rasputin?"

"It's worth a shot."

"Do you have any way of unsealing the doors?" The commander asked the fireteam in the bunker.

"We could always blow them open." Hank pointed out, and all of them could imagine him raising a rocket launcher with a grin.

"No, don't do that. If that really is Rasputin he might take that as an attack and retaliate. Is there a hub that you can use to access his system?"

"Yeah, my Ghost just finished examining it." Audrey interjected.

"Any luck?"

"I don't think so. The encryption on this is unlike anything I've ever seen before. The coding is layered almost a thousand times over with firewalls everywhere. Cracking this could take days." Her Ghost explained. "The keys on this hub each cover a small piece of the coding when pressed, but if the commands aren't entered fast enough you'll have to start again, and a mistake will result in the same thing."

"Yikes, that won't get us anywhere." The commander noted.

"Wait, let me see the hub." Tobias said suddenly. Within a few moments there was an image of the hub in the bunker for Tobias to see, and it was just as he thought. These were piano keys. "I think I get it."

"What do you mean?" The commander asked as all eyes were on Tobias.

"The signal this Rasputin guy is broadcasting, it's a song. The hub to access this chamber is a piano. I don't think it's a coincidence. If we play that song, this will probably open the doors." Tobias explained, surprising everyone that could hear him. That was last thing any of them would have expected.

The key to unlocking an AI Warmind, was to play the piano…

"Well, anything is worth a shot." The commander said with a shrug. "Can any of you play the piano?"

"Uhh…no." Was the response from the fireteam present within the bunker, much to the dismay of those working with them over the comms.

"Alright then…what about you hotshot?" The commander said as he turned to Tobias.

"I played the piano before, but I won't make you any promises." Tobias replied.

"Well you're the best shot we got, so we're sending you in." The commander declared. "Head up to the hanger, I'll send word to the shipwright that you have clearance to head out."

 **Old Russia**

 **Cosmodrome**

 **Forgotten Shore**

The time it took Tobias to actually get to the Cosmodrome was a fraction of the time it took him to actually get a ship back in Neo Chicago. Even though the commander in the communication division had sent word to the hanger to prep a ship for Tobias, it still took him about a half an hour to depart.

All of the Guardians arriving from the Reef seemed to clog everything in the Hanger, so Tobias had to wait for a bit before his Ghost could retrieve a ship for him. Although this was time well spent by Tobias. His Ghost had save a recording of the song that was playing in the bunker for him, and he used this time to listen to it closely, trying to imagine himself playing the notes. It was difficult, but he had to at least have an idea before he gave this a try. His Ghost had said that will all of these layers in the coding and the firewalls, he would have to be on point since none of them would have no idea how Rasputin would respond to them pushing his buttons, so to speak.

Dropping down onto the Forgotten Shore, Tobias felt a sense of nostalgia as he looked around at the area. He still didn't know how he ended up here, but returning to this place once again, he knew that he had progressed quite a bit since the last time he had been here. Shaking these thoughts out his head, Tobias focused on the task at hand. Getting to the bunker was his top priority.

"Alright, I made it." Tobias said as he waved to the fireteam Dustdrift now that he was finally meeting them in person.

"The hub is right over here." Amelia said as she led him over to keyboard. Tobias approached it slowly, taking a few long breaths as he studied it. He had fought the Fallen in total darkness. He had faced off with a Kell and fought it to a standstill. He had taken on Oryx's personal army…and yet, he had never been more nervous than he was now. And all he had to do was play the piano.

 _"_ _Just take a deep breath, and put your fingers on the keys, and just…let go." Trisha said to him as stood over him, her hands on top of his own as she guided his hands up and down the piano keys._

"Just, let go." Tobias whispered to himself as he placed his hands on the keys. Tobias stated slowly, using only his left hand as he played a few notes, almost as if he was warming up. The song that was being broadcast stopped immediately, instead now amplifying the notes that Tobias was playing for everyone to hear. The Guardians present with him looked around in bewilderment at first before their gaze settled on Tobias as he continued.

Things were quiet as his notes were soft. Then he went silent for just a moment, causing them to look at him in confusion. But this quickly became shock as Tobias' right hand began to dart all over the keys, playing with a sharpness that caught everyone off guard. They had chills as Tobias continued, captivating them as he expertly played.

It was incredible listening to him as he rattled off these notes. The intensity picked up as the melody became higher, the pace increasing. They didn't think he could play any faster than he had been playing already, but Tobias kicked it up another notch.

'I remember.' Tobias said to himself as he shut his eyes.

 _His beautiful wife was seated next to him on the small bench in front of a grand piano. They were on a stage together, in front of thousands of people playing the piano. Taking a quick peak at the woman beside him, Tobias was awestruck by her beauty once again._

 _She sparkled underneath the lights that were aimed down at them. She was mesmerizing as she played, the embodiment of intensity and passion. His breath was stolen from him with just the small glance._

 _Eventually their song came to an end and the crowd showered them with applause. Tobias rose from the bench first and then offered his wife a hand, helping her rise to her feet as well. Once they stood at the front of the stage, they raised one hand together and then took a bow underneath the spotlights._

'This was my life in the Golden Age.' Tobias said to himself. He was performer. He and his wife. That's why this felt so natural to him, to play the piano. Tobias felt a smile creep up on his face as he envisioned himself playing countless songs with his wife. The thought made his heart skip a beat, and the excitement showed as he raced to the end of the song.

Everyone was awestruck as Tobias' fingers went up and back down the keys as he arrived at the conclusion of the song, ending it on a powerful note. It took a moment for them to realize that the song was over while Tobias smiled to himself, pleased with how he had done. Hitting his chest twice, Tobias gave himself nod of approval before his attention was drawn to the inside of the room something was taking place.

One of the black diamond shaped tunnels split, opening up to reveal that was housing a body within it. It was resting on a steel gurney with dozens of wires connected to it. Suddenly a plume of smoke was released from the body as all of the wires were released. Then it began to move, rising up from the bed it had been resting on.

"It's an Exo." Tobias said as everyone was finally able to focus on the mission that was still taking place. The Exo approached glanced at them before jumping off the gurney and heading to the back of the room where a small station awaited it. Unfortunately for the Guardians, they could see the Exo since it had disappeared behind the structure at the middle of the room.

"What's it doing?" Amelia whispered before the doors beside them hissed before sliding upward to give them access to the room.

"You can come in!" A voice hollered over the intercom. The Guardians took a moment to look at each other, readying their weapons for anything unexpected.

"Wait, one of us should stay outside." Hank pointed out. "Just in case."

Audrey remained in the connecting room to the vault while the rest of the them entered. They rounded the perimeter of the room slowly, raising their weapons as they approached the Exo who was waiting for them.

"You can put your weapons down." An almost child like voice stated. It was the Exo. "I'm not gonna hurt cha."

"Then who are you?" Hank demanded, his finger wrapped around the trigger of his assault rifle.

"My name is Gale, well actually, my whole name is Nightingale-1. But I like Gale better." He replied, giving them an odd little smile.

"Alright then, and can you tell us your purpose?" Hank pressed as they all lowered their weapons. Their Ghosts had already confirmed that Gale had no weapons on him, so there wasn't much he would be able to do had he decided to attack.

"My purpose? Umm, I was supposed to wake up Rasputin." He responded after thinking about it for a moment.

"Wait, we really found Rasputin?" Audrey asked incredulously from the other room.

"Yeah!" Gale said, giving them a nod.

"Wait, wait, so you're telling me that you were supposed to reactivate Rasputin, but you're only doing that now? We needed his help ages ago!" Hank exclaimed, causing Gale to jump in surprise before he he dove behind the console to hide.

"Hey, calm down." Amelia whispered to him. "He sounds like a kid."

Tobias hadn't given it much thought, but Gale did indeed seem like a kid. Tobias had thought all Exo's were built to be adults, but the Gale's size and stature disproved that. He was clearly designed to be a kid.

"Don't worry about that guy." Amelia said to Gale, motioning to Hank. Gale stepped out from behind the console at Amelia's beckoning, becoming calm once again. "He's just got a big mouth. But can you tell us why Rasputin has been offline for so long?"

"Well, I don't really know. But I know someone who does." Gale replied as he turned to the console, punching in a quick command before it lit up, projecting an image for the group. It was of a young dark skinned man who was well dressed as he adjusted the camera on himself. "This is my creator."

Everyone remained silent after Gale had revealed who this person was, eager to learn the truth behind Rasputin. Once the young man was set and comfortable, he took a deep breath before starting.

"This is Tyrone Kolton, and I doubt anyone is going to see this for at least a few years. Hopefully someone will find the Seraphim Vault soon so that Rasputin can be reawakened." He began. "By now I'm sure everyone must know that Rasputin went dark during the Collapse due to one of the protocols in his programming known as MIDNIGHT EXIGENT. Basically he conceded in the battle against these aliens because he couldn't stop the invasion, not that anyone could really blame him for that. Everyone thought it was over, but then the Traveler made one last stand against their leader and sent these monsters packing. The problem though is that by issuing MIDNIGHT EXIGENT, Rasputin placed himself in a state of suspended animation, like he's in a coma. So that's why I've designed Nightingale-1, or just Gale for short."

He moved the camera a bit to show the face of the Exo who was standing behind him in the recording.

"Gale, give the camera a wave." He said, motioning for the Exo to give it a greeting. Gale did so obediently. "I'm sealing Gale into the Seraphim Vault with Rasputin. I've been studying Rasputin since he went dark, so I've been exploring his protocols. I was able to place a subroutine in his coding known as IKELOS. This subroutine will allow Gale to override MIDNIGHT EXIGENT, but in addition to that, it will allow Gale to tap into network of weapons Rasputin has around the system. In a sense it will arm Gale to fight these creatures as well. I'm hoping that the next time Rasputin is awakened, he'll be in a position to join the fight against these enemies that have come to Earth."

The Guardians were astonished to say the least. For decades they had been chasing leads in hope of reactivating this Warmind. Now it was finally coming to fruition.

"My original plan was to awaken Rasputin myself, and it worked for just a few minutes. But I guess after getting an understanding of the situation, he reissued MIDNIGHT EXIGENT. So I'm leaving Gale to awaken Rasputin when the time is right because I can't remain in the Cosmodrome any longer. The aliens have been advancing toward this area. There's this hero that appeared right after the Traveler's last stand, and he's been holding down an area beneath the Traveler for the last few months. I was hoping he would be able to come here to hold them off, but people are starting to gather beneath the Traveler. There's no way he can abandon them to come here." Tyrone continued. "There weren't too many people there to witness the Traveler's final stand, but I was there..."

Tyrone trailed off for a moment as he took in a deep breath, looking away from the camera.

"I've never felt more powerless in my life. Watching that huge alien with wings fight the Traveler. All of us watching were so insignificant comparison, yet the Traveler was fighting for us. Even though the Traveler was victorious, it was dying. But there was this one guy, I don't whether to call him brave, stupid or crazy...but he ran in as the Traveler was dying, and he sacrificed himself to carry its power. He became some kind of superhero, and its just...amazing to see all of things he can do now."

Tobias' eyes became wide as he looked up at the image of the young man, now realizing that he was talking about him! He was relating the events that took place right after the Collapse!

"I don't even know his name, but he's been fighting the rest of the aliens by himself, protecting everyone he can. There's survivors all over the world that think that the human race has been all but wiped out. But I'm sure they'll start to hear about a hero that's standing beneath the Traveler, giving them them hope of safety. He's amazing alright, but I don't know if he can't do everything by himself, so I wanted to do something to help." Tyrone explained as he looked around the Vault around him. "Whether or not I make it to safety doesn't matter to me. I just pray that Gale will be able to assist that man in his fight against these aliens."

Tobias' mouth hung open as the recording came to a sudden end, disappointment clearly shown on his face. He wanted to know more about what happened after the Collapse. But for the other Guardians in the room, there was more pressing matters.

"Well what are you waiting for, wake up Rasputin for us!" Hank hollered, receiving a nod from Gale as it raised one hand and placed it onto a scanner. Five small holes opened up on the scanner, allowing Gale to place his fingertips into them. There was a moment of silence before the whole hub lit up in green, followed by a low hum filling the room. The large tubes that hung from the structure at the center of the room began to hiss before white smoke was spat out from various parts of it, signalling the Warmind was awakening from his slumber. After a few moments, Gale looked up at the Guardians, his face completely expressionless.

"Rasputin is back online."

* * *

A/N

Alright, so there was a lot in this chapter to take in, especially all of the stuff I had about Rasputin. If you haven't read the lore surrounding Rasputin, I definitely recommend it, its a great read. Rasputin is one of the most interesting characters in Destiny at the moment because there's so much speculation surrounding his actions. Some think he launched an attack on the Traveler during the Collapse to prevent it from abandoning Earth. Some people think he has something to do with the Black Garden and now he's tied to SIVA as well. There's a lot surrounding Rasputin that I really hope Bungie will delve into in later installments of Destiny.

For now though, IKELOS is something I want to talk about. This was the directive for Rasputin to weaponize mankind or the Guardians with special weapons, such as the Sleeper Simulant. I made a little twist on it in that this is now a subroutine to override MIDNIGHT EXIGENT through Nightingale-1 who would then be weaponized by Rasputin. Just some clarification. I know some people argue that he didn't actually use MIDNIGHT EXIGENT during the Collapse, so I'll straighten this out right now. In this fic, he did.

And I tossed in a little reference about Chicago for you basketball fans, hopefully it didn't fly over your heads hehe.

As always though, thanks for reading and your support everyone! :D


	22. Reclaiming Earth : Assault

**Chapter 22**

* * *

 **Neo Chicago**

 **The Mulligan**

 **Hall of Guardians**

Tobias was a little nervous as he tried to ignore the stares he was receiving. The Vanguard Mentors were present, along with a variety of other Guardians including the likes of Shaxx, Eris and Saladin. They weren't looking at him directly, but rather the Exo standing next to him. Tobias had to admit though that Gale was handling all of this attention well. He had been so flighty while they were in the Seraphim Vault, but he was much calmer now.

News had spread fast that a team had uncovered the Seraphim Vault in the Cosmodrome and successfully reactivated Rasputin by means of the Exo known as Nightingale-1. Gale then returned to Neo Chicago with the Guardians to meet with their commanders, but the Exo requested that Tobias be at this meeting with him. Now Tobias found himself taking part in the meeting to determine their next course of action for the campaign against the Taken.

"This changes everything." Zavala stated he waved is hand through the map of Earth that had been projected from their table at the center of the room, causing it to waver away.

Their original plan had been a long and arduous campaign across the eastern hemisphere. They would land on the coast of each continent and sweep it clean until they arrived at the heart of the Taken forces. It would be a process that would like take more than a year considering how dense the Taken forces were. But with Rasputin aiding them, they could set their sights on something...bigger.

Replacing the image of the Earth was a massive fortress that seemed to stretch for miles with an equally large Taken Blight hovering above it.

"This is what the Hive built where the Last City once stood." Zavala explained, further increasing the tension in the room. The sanctuary that had housed mankind for centuries after the Collapse had been turned into a breeding ground for the Hive. "Eris mentioned that this Blight above thee fortress is fueling all of the Blights on the eastern hemisphere."

"So if we knock out this one, we knock out all of them." Cayde declared, earning a nod from Zavala.

"That's correct." Zavala responded.

"But getting to that Blight is a challenge all on its own." Eris cut in. "It's shielded by an incantation, and the source of that is deep within their fortress."

"So we're going to have to go in there if we want to take out the big Blight?" Cayde asked.

"Exactly." Eris responded.

"Our experience with the Blight is limited, but do we even have the firepower to destroy that is this, large?" Ikora asked as she zoomed out of the image to give them a different vantage point of this Blight, showing its immense stature.

"That's where Rasputin comes in." Cayde said as he pointed toward Gale who now had everyone's attention. "I'm sure there must be a space laser or two he's got hidden somewhere."

"That's right." Gale said, giving Cayde a nod. "There's a particle cannon orbiting Mars that I can umm, borrow from Rasputin. But I'll only have one shot with it. Rasputin started launching attacks on the Cabal stationed on Mars, so I can't take too many of his resources."

"One shot." Zavala said with a nod. They would have no room for error then. "Eris, are you capable of removing this incantation that shields the Blight?"

"I'm more than capable. But I have to be taken to the source, I can't remove it externally." She explained, which now confirmed their mission.

"Alright, I think it's settled then. We're going in." Cayde stated as he looked around for any disagreements.

"You do understand that you're going into the heart of a Hive stronghold?" Eris asked Cayde as she gave him a narrow gaze. The Taken were not to be…taken so lightly.

"Of course, but we've got some big guns of our own, so I like our chances." Cayde stated as he glanced at the duo of Gale and Tobias.

 _"_ _He's quite confident isn't he?"_ The Traveler asked Tobias, causing him to smirk just a bit. Even though they were in the face of a powerful foe, this didn't deter Cayde at all.

'I like it.' Tobias replied.

The meeting had been adjourned about a half an hour later as most of the audience rushed off to finalize their plan to attack the Hive fortress. The only people remaining in the Hall of Guardians now was Tobias, Gale and the Vanguard Mentors who had a number of questions for the Exo that had been brought back from the Seraphim Vault.

"So, why now?" Ikora asked as stared at Gale, sizing up the Exo. Gale was short and small for an Exo, but he still possessed the same piercing, mechanical eyes that all of them possessed.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand?" Gale asked in return as he focused on Ikora.

"In Tobias' report, it was revealed that you had the choice to decide when to reactivate Rasputin." Ikora explained as she leaned forward. "The Guardians have been fighting against many great foes during all this time, and yet you kept such a powerful asset from joining the battle. I want to know why."

"Ah, I understand now." Gale said as he looked down in thought. "I think there's a misconception here. I have the ability to _awaken_ Rasputin, not control him. He's an entirely separate entity."

"But in the report you said that you're able to override Rasputin's programing." Cayde pointed out, causing Gale to shake his head.

"I can only override the order MIDNIGHT EXIGENT. This is an order for the Warminds to enter a period of deactivation in order to survive an overwhelming threat." Gale explained. "Like my creator said before, we attempted to awaken him right after the Collapse, but Rasputin issued MIDNIGHT EXIGENT again, meaning that he was not in a favorable position to begin opposing the Darkness."

"So what's different now? The Guardians have grown in numbers, but our threats continue to grow more powerful as well." Zavala said as he folded his arms.

"Rasputin and I were going to die in the Seraphim Vault. Or rather, we were going to be corrupted by the Taken." Gale explained with a sigh. "I had to call for help, so I issued IKELOS to gain the attention of the Guardians. When they arrived at the Vault, they demanded that I reactivate Rasputin. The last thing I expected was for him to rejoin the fight."

"Do you know why he's fighting now?" Ikora inquired.

"A few months ago there was a team of Guardians that opened the array station in the Comsodrome. That array station is Rasputin's key into the network of Warsats and weapon systems which had previously been closed off to him. I doubt that's the only reason he's fighting now, but I'm certain that has played a part." Gale explained, causing Tobias to raise his eyebrows as he recalled taking part in the small mission with Carmen and fireteam Salamander.

"Just out of question, what are your other theories?" Ikora pressed, curious to see what could motivate a Warmind.

"Theories, hmm. Well I think it has to do with Tobias." Gale said as he looked toward the Guardian standing beside him.

"How do you figure that?" Tobias asked, wrinkling his forehead.

"You're presence isn't clouded anymore." Gale stated, leaving all of them a bit stunned for a moment.

"And by that you mean…?" Ikora trailed off, waiting for the Exo to continue.

"Since he took on the role of being a vessel for the Light, his strength has been waning. But just recently his Light has become much stronger and pure again." Gale explained. "I think that Rasputin recognized that weakness in Tobias and decided that as long as Tobias was in that state, there was no foreseeable chance of the Guardians winning."

"So Rasputin didn't have any faith in me huh?" Tobias asked with a bit of a smirk. Rasputin wasn't the first, nor would he be the last.

"That's one way to put it." Gale responded.

But now Ikora understood. It was just as Eris had said. The drain on the Traveler's Light was affecting Tobias as well. Even Rasputin could see it, and yet all of them had failed to notice. But now that the Radiant Light had been restored completely, even Rasputin had hope now.

"I think I've heard everything I wanted to know." Ikora stated as she placed a hand on her chin, deep in thought. "The two of you are dismissed."

"I hope I was of some help to you all, and I look forward to working with you all in the future." Gale said as he gave them all a small bow before heading out the exit of the room. Tobias gave them all a wave before following Gale out, eager to speak with the Exo some more.

"Why'd you send them out?" Cayde asked once the duo was out of earshot.

"Because something odd is happening on that fireteam, don't you think?" Ikora asked the two of them.

"What are you getting at?" Cayde asked her while Zavala remained silent.

"Their backgrounds, how their meeting each other. It almost feels unnatural the way their team is developing." Ikora said as she looked at the two of them. "Now more than ever, it feels like someone's out there pulling the strings for Undaunted."

"What, are you thinking they're going to turn on us or something?" Cayde asked incredulously.

"I'm not sure, but what I do know is that they could be the Vanguard's greatest ally, or our biggest threat." Ikora stated, leaving a sobering thought in the minds of the two male Vanguard Mentors.

 **The Mulligan**

 **Courtyard**

"So, this is Gale." Tobias began with a smug little grin that was directed at Carmen as he introduced the Exo. Undaunted had gathered back together now as the Vanguard finalized the attack on the Hive fortress, and Tobias had heard that Carmen and Niko's mission had been a bust. The Guardians that had been coming to Earth in droves had already swept the area clean and the two of them had gone out only to get sent back as soon as they arrived.

Meanwhile Tobias and Diana had helped uncover a Golden Age secret hidden within the Seraphim Vault.

"Of course you guys take the boring office job and it somehow turns into something awesome!" Carmen exclaimed with a huff, irritated that she hadn't seen any action since arriving on Earth.

"Heh, too bad squirt." Tobias replied as he blew a raspberry at her.

"It's nice to meet you." Diana said kindly as she shook hands with Gale.

"Yeah, welcome to the team." Niko added with a bright grin, slapping Gale on the back although he remained completely still despite Niko's strength.

"What team?" Gale asked.

"Our fireteam." Niko clarified.

"I'm not a Guardian though." Gale revealed, not that this was much of a surprise to them.

"Well of course you're not; you've been locked up in a vault for hundreds of years." Niko stated rather humorously. "But you must have some awesome weapons since you're part of Rasputin, right?"

"I'm able to access the defense network that Rasputin uses, so yes, I do have a number of weapons at my disposal." Gale stated.

"Atta boy!" Niko said, slapping his back once again. "You'll do just fine with us."

Carmen cleared her throat to get their attention as she stepped toward Gale.

"I'm Carmen, and that's the only name you'll need to remember." She began. "You see, I'm the leader of this team, and all of them obey my every command. And I expect you to do the same."

Everyone except for Gale deadpanned at this before Carmen found herself receiving a noogie from Niko.

"Gale, you can just ignore her." Diana stated.

"She's more trouble than she's worth." Tobias added.

Gale though eyed Carmen as she struggled to break free from Niko's grasp, stringing together some colorful language to describe the Hunter as he grinded his knuckles against her head. He couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. It had been such a long time since he had spoken with other people. He had almost forgotten what it's like.

* * *

It had been two days since Gale had been brought to Neo Chicago before the Vanguard called together all of the Guardians. Their attack on the fortress had been finalized.

Everyone had gathered together in the courtyard where the highest authority among the Vanguard was waiting for them. Shaxx, Zavala and Saladin were taking the lead though since they had spent a great deal of time devising a plan to enter the Hive fortress.

"I'm sure all of you know what you've been called together for." Zavala said as he, Shaxx and Saladin stood in front of the small projector they had set up that displayed the fortress for all of them to see. "In twenty six hours, we'll be launching our attack on the fortress."

The tension in the room seemed to increase as everyone now realized that it was finally going to happen. They were going on the offensive now.

"Our original plan was to land on the coast and advance up to the fortress, but the Taken presence is very heavy surrounding it." Shaxx explained. "Our goal though is to minimize our losses before even arriving at the fortress, so we found another means of entering it."

The display went down below the fortress where they could see a network of tunnels underneath it, similar to the catacombs beneath the surface of the room. They had been transforming the Earth during the limited amount of time they had free reign.

"There's a tunnel near the coast they we can enter, so we've modified our underwater transport to burrow through the earth and get us into that tunnel." Shaxx explained as the image began to show a simulation of that plan. Everyone could see the transport drilling through the ground until it arrived at the tunnel where all of the Guardians got out and advanced up the tunnel that led to the fortress.

"Once we arrive there, the majority of you will exit the tunnel to stir up the Taken and Hive within the fortress. You must get all of the attention you can. We've selected three raid teams to go into the heart of the fortress and find the source of the incantation that protects the Blight. Those not on these teams have to act as a distraction to ensure that these raid teams can venture through the fortress with as little resistance as possible." Saladin explained as nodded to Zavala who had the list of Guardians that made up these raid teams.

"So the first raid team is composed of myself, Cayde-6, Ikora, Rox-12, Panther and Phoebe." Zavala stated as the projector now showed a snap shot of each of these Guardians. "Team two will consist of Zeke, Axel, Sheryl, Sander, Mira and Archer."

The members of fireteam Salamander nodded their heads with approval as they glanced at one another. This was their first big mission. Their big chance.

"And team three will consist of Diana, Niko, Tobias, Carmen, Shaxx and Saladin." Zavala said as he display showed the final team. The first two raid teams each possessed two established fireteams, but since Undaunted currently had four members, Zavala added to solo Guardians to their raid team. He wasn't going to select Shaxx or Saladin, but Ikora had advised it. She wanted someone they knew well working with Undaunted to see if there was anything going on within this fireteam.

Zavala didn't like the mistrust Ikora was developing for Undaunted since it seemed to develop out of nowhere, but he couldn't deny that this team was becoming extraordinary, even Saladin had to agree. They had the vessel of the Light, an Exo connected to Rasputin, a time traveling Hunter, the slayer of Crota…it was incredible to think that all of them were on the same team. There hadn't been such a powerful team of Guardians since the Iron Lords, so they could only hope that the fate of Undaunted wasn't similar to them.

"What a stacked team."

"Yeah, talk about loaded."

"These three teams will go in after the distraction has begun and make their way into the center of the fortress. We don't have any exact coordinates as to where the source of the incantation is, so that's why we're sending in three teams to search for it." Shaxx explained.

"In order to remove the incantation, we need to get Eris in there. So we've developed a one way transmat to take her to the location of the raid team who gets to the source. Once she's done, Gale-1 will use a particle cannon orbiting Mars to take out the Blight." Cayde added as the projector now showed everyone the massive cannon that was currently orbiting Mars.

"Oh sick, I didn't even know we had weapons that big!"

The confidence among the Guardians was growing as the plan became clear. This was more than doable so long as everyone did their part.

"The transport that will take us across the ocean is waiting for us at these coordinates. Gather what you need and head there. We'll go over final preparations once more before we deploy." Zavala called to them before Shaxx stepped forward.

"Guardians, we have been given an opportunity to reclaim what we have lost. All of humanity is waiting for us to reclaim their home, our home! _We_ are the line between survival, and extinction. We will not fall, let's show them our might!" Shaxx roared, rallying the crowd which through their hands with whoops and cheers, ready for the battle ahead of them.

This was it. Now was their time.

 **Delaware Bay**

Undaunted was among some of the first fireteams to arrive at the site where the transport was waiting for them. And they were impressed to say the least. It was huge submarine that stretched down a portion of the coastline. And at the front of the watercraft, they could see that a large and powerful drill had been built into it for this very mission.

"Are you guys ready for this?" Niko asked the group as stood on the beach with the sun sinking in the horizon.

"You better believe I am." Tobias said as he tapped his chest enthusiastically.

"Heck yeah!" Carmen added with just as much, if not more energy than Tobias. "But why isn't Gale coming with us?"

She was a little disappointed that she wouldn't be able to see their newest member in action with them. And the Exo seemed a little down as they parted ways back at the hanger in the Mulligan.

"He's not a Guardian Carmen, he can't come into combat with us." Diana pointed out.

"Yeah, he'll get wrecked pretty bad." Niko said with a bit of a grin.

"Besides, he has to prep the particle cannon to fire once we knock out that shield. I wouldn't want to be doing that in the middle of a warzone." Tobias added.

"Well looks who's early!" A voice called out, causing all them to look back at the three Guardians that stood behind them. It was fireteam Salamander.

"Hey!" Carmen said as they joined them at the shore.

"Long time no see." Sheryl said to Carmen and Tobias as they gave each other high fives.

"Well actually I got to hang with Axel when we were training to be Stormcallers." Tobias pointed out.

"That's old news." Axel interjected.

"So I'm sure you guys must be excited. You're in with all the big leagues now." Niko said with a grin as he eyed the three of them. They seemed to be just fine even though they would be taking part in the most dangerous portion of their upcoming mission.

"Of course we are." Zeke began as he raised one arm, flexing his bicep. "This is what we've been waiting for. It's time for everyone to know that Undaunted isn't the only fireteam that can handle the big baddies out there."

"Best of luck out there, we'll be rooting for you." Niko said as he raised to bump forearms with Zeke who had his arm raised still. "But don't expect us to slow down for you guys."

"They didn't for me." Tobias said as he raised his hand.

"We wouldn't want you to. Where's the fun in beating you guys if we know you took it easy on us." Zeke shot back.

"You guys don't stand a chance." Carmen cut in.

"Oh, you'll see." Zeke said as their conversation became more a stare down between Niko, Carmen and Zeke.

"How about a little bet then." Niko suggested with a smirk as Carmen and Zeke were now truly interested.

"Are they really making a competition over this?" Tobias asked incredulously as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Don't think much of it, Zeke is just fired up." Sheryl whispered to them as she stood on the sidelines with Tobias, Axel and Diana.

"And Niko's just anxious to get back out in the field too." Diana said, and she was certain that she could say the same for Carmen as well.

"It's just the way we are. Fighting is one thing a Guardian has always known." Axel commented, getting a nod of agreement from all of them. It was the only thing they were sure about. They would fight until the day they die.

* * *

"We're heading out!" The call came from pilot of the transport over the intercom, informing all the Guardians aboard that it was finally time. They were departing, starting the trip across the Atlantic Ocean that would only take an hour or so before they arrived at the southern coast of what was formerly India.

Now that they were on route to the battleground, everyone went through one last check. This would be their last opportunity to before this fight, or maybe forever. As confident as they had become, there was some uncertainty going into this battle. The Taken had overwhelmed them in their last battle, it could possibly happen again…

No, they had new abilities; they had all been training the last few months just for this day. There was no time to think about what could go wrong.

"Whoa, did you feel that?" Whispers flew around the crowd of Guardians that were waiting in the belly of the transport.

All of a sudden it felt as though their Light was being smothered, as if Oryx was suffocating them. A chill ran down their spines as they realized that this force was being exerted from the Blight that they were going in to destroy. Its power was so far reaching even though they were still a half an hour from their destination.

"We're so far from the Traveler, I can barely feel its Light." One of them noted.

The thought was sobering. The power that they relied upon felt like it was being squashed. How would they overcome this? They were becoming restless and nervous.

"What are you all getting cold feet for?" Carmen snapped at the crowd. "The odds are always stacked against us but we make it out every time. It's no different this time!"

Time and again they had managed to fight and scrap to overcome unimaginable odds.

"This fight is no different from any other. But if you treat it differently, it'll become its own monster. We just have to go in there and do what we do best." Niko said as he looked around. "We're gonna light the place up!"

"Hell yeah we are!"

Everyone seemed to settle down after this as their last minute jitters faded away. They were ready.

"This is it, we've arrived Guardians." Zavala stated over the intercom as the Guardians gathered in the front of the transport where the base opened up, allowing them to exit into the tunnel which they had just finished burrowing into. A short trek was all that separated them from the massive battlefield above.

"Let's go!" They roared, flooding out into the tunnel as their Ghots directed them into the pathway that would lead them up into the fortress.

"Raid teams, give us one final check in." Zavala called out as he was connected to a private comm line with them.

"Raid team two, we're all set to go!" Zeke responded as he pumped his fist.

"Raid team thr-" Tobias began only to be interrupted by Carmen.

"Raid team three, locked and loaded!" She declared, earning a glare from Tobias, but she only stuck her tongue out in response.

"Zavala I would check in too but you're on my team, so I'll leave it to you." Cayde pointed out as he stood beside the Titan that made this request. Zavala gave Cayde a hard stare in return before focusing on the task at hand. Everyone was present and accounted for, now it was time to put their plan into action.

The raid teams were still remaining in the transport while all of the other Guardians already advanced to the exit of the tunnel. Everyone else would get to see firsthand what it looked like while the raid teams would have to wait for clearance before they could move in.

"Man, I hate waiting around." Carmen muttered, her arms folded in front of her chest as she tapped her feet.

"It won't be much longer." Diana stated as she placed a hand of Carmen's shoulder.

"We're at the exit." A Guardians stated over the comms, informing Zavala that they were now in position. It was about to begin.

"Excellent, you may commence your attack." Zavala replied.

"Move out!" The order was given and the Guardians broke out of the tunnel, flooding into the Hive fortress.

"Oh my God, they're everywhere!" Someone shrieked.

"Focus on your positions, we need to establish control of this area right now!"

"We need some bubbles down now if we're going to do that!"

"We've got their attention now!"

"There's a large group of them approaching from the east, get ready to engage."

"Push out Guardians. We can't get pinned down at the entrance to the tunnel or the raid teams will never get through!"

"We have several teams moving south of the tunnel and their drawing a lot of attention, use this opportunity to spread out Guardians!"

The callouts had everyone's hearts racing as the battle above them intensified. They could only imagine how things were taking place as they anxiously waited for the signal for the raid teams to move in. But it was taking longer than they had anticipated.

"What's the situation?" Zavala demanded, waiting for a response from any of the fireteam leaders.

"The resistance up here is heavy but we're almost there. We just need a little more time." They replied, causing the raid teams to take a few nervous glances at each other. Their attack had barely begun and already things were starting to go astray.

"When they give us the signal, be prepared." Zavala warned them. "Whatever is waiting for us there will attack us with all of its force."

"Commander Zavala, you're clear to advance!" The call finally came, causing the raid teams to give each other one final nod as they readied their weapons. It was their time now. The outcome of this battle rested in their hands now.

Together they charged out of the transport, racing up the tunnel until they arrived at the spiraling stairway that led up to a tunnel where they could see some faint daylight. This would take them up into the fortress where all of the fighting was taking place. As they drew closer, they could hear the gunfire from the Guardians, screeches from the Hive and Taken and explosions sounding off frequently. But actually seeing the battlefield was a completely different story.

Seeing this massive Blight hanging over them placed an immense amount of pressure on them. They couldn't even see the sun, and they doubted that this fortress had ever seen it either. But even though they couldn't feel the sunlight, the fortress was still hot. Fire was everywhere as the Guardians seemed to follow Niko's words exactly. _'Light the place up!'_

The necropolis that the Hive had constructed was crumbling around the area where the Guardians had entered as they razed it to the ground as payback for the loss of their City. Nothing would remain.

"This wasn't the plan at all." Zavala exclaimed, but that didn't matter. The Guardians had still succeeded in performing the task they had received. They had the full attention of the Hive and Taken.

"Over here Commander!" A Guardian called out as he waved over the raid teams from this small barrier that a group of Defenders had created using their Ward of Dawns.

Zavala was shocked to say the least. The call outs they had been listening to didn't match the situation at all. The Guardians were in full control!

"We've already determined where the heart of the fortress, and we have numerous teams that have been holding a pathway open for you all to get through. My Ghost has already given you all their coordinates. Just follow them from checkpoint to checkpoint and you'll be there in no time." The Guardian said as he pointed through the Ward of Dawns. Far down the pathway they could see fireteam laying down some suppressive fire, keeping it clear of enemies for them to advance.

"Excellent work Guardians." Zavala commented with a nod approval and a very small smile on his face.

"Well what are we waiting for, let's get going!" Tobias hollered as he dashed through the Ward of Dawns, receiving the blessings that they definitely needed.

As they began to advance, Hive Boomers rained down on them, doing everything they could to halt their advance. But the raid teams were undeterred as they made it to their first checkpoint, and once they were there, they spotted their destination. Looming over them was a palace that the Diana and Niko recognized.

"It looks just like, Crota's palace." Niko noted as he saw the resemblance. He would never forget the moment he saw Crota's palace when they raided the Hellmouth. For the Hive to construct something like this in such a short span of time was truly incredible, but this thought didn't last long. It was going to be burned to the ground after they completed this mission, just like the rest of the fortress.

Pressing forward from one checkpoint to the next, the raid teams had an opportunity to see just how far the Guardians had advanced. They had done a lot more than they had let on in the comms, and it was amazing to see them in action. Their newest abilities were on full display as they fought the hordes of Taken and Hive to a standstill, opening the pathway for the raid teams to get to the palace. And even when the Hive and Taken started to mass together on their path to the palace, the Guardians quickly swooped in to clear the way.

"Hold it, the resistance is heavy up ahead." A Titan called out as he motioned for the raid teams to join him behind the remains of a structure that had been knocked over earlier. Several Hunters were there as well, firing upon the horde of enemies ahead of them from behind cover, as if they were waiting for something.

"We're in flanking position. Commencing our attack!" A voice called out over the comms.

"They're ready, Nightstalkers, we need those Tethers down ASAP!" The Titan commanded, to which the Hunters gave him a nod in response before they summoned their bows. They all let their arrows loose, dropping them down all over the forces blocking the path to the palace. Even with so many Tethers down, there was still a number of enemies that hadn't suppressed, proof of how high the concentration was around the heart of the fortress.

"Coming through!" A voice roared as sparks began to fly. Lightning bolts began chaining through the enemy forces as a group of Stormcallers came through, mowing down everything in their sight with shouts of excitement. In just a few moments, what had been a massive gathering of the Hive had been whittled down to nothing in the wake of the Guardians.

"The pathway is clear Commander." The Titan called out as he looked back at Zavala. "Good luck in there."

"Well what are we waiting for, let's get this done!" Zeke shouted as he punched his palm, eager to get to work. The raid teams pushed forward, charging to the stairway that led up to the massive arched doorway that acted as the entrance to the palace. But guarding the entrance was a pair of Ogres which spotted the approaching Guardians and roared defiantly. They then lowered their heads, beginning to unleash a torrent of purple blasts from the front of their faces, pelting the Guardians with this attack.

"Someone get ready for clean up!" Niko called out as he jumped high into the air, shaping a bow of out Void Light. He then pulled back, igniting an arrow which he let loose. The arrow landed on the ground between the pair of Ogres where it became an anchor before ropes of Void Light extended out, latching on to each the Ogres who roared as they became suppressed by the Tether.

"I'm on it!" Diana shouted as leapt into the air to fire down a Nova Bomb onto the targets that were blocking the entrance. The Ogres were blasted away by this attack, becoming nothing more than bright sparkles that were blown away in the blast.

"Attention all Guardians, we've arrived at the heart of the fortress. Your goal is to continue drawing as much attention as possible for us while we're in there." Zavala called out as the raid teams separated into their predetermined groups now that it was time to commence their attack.

The raids teams entered the foyer of the palace which separated into three different corridors. One for each team.

"Perfect." Cayde commented. "Looks like this is where we'll go our separate ways."

"Prepare yourselves Guardians, for I am certain many horrors await you in the depths of this fortress." Eris warned them over the comms.

"Stick to your guns Guardians." Cayde added as the three teams now went their separate ways, venturing down into the palace.

Undaunted remained silent as they traveled down their corridor, looking around at the various columns that seemed to have been uprooted from the ground with Hive Arcana engraved on it. None of them felt any pressure despite the fact that they were journeying through the heart of the Hive stronghold in the center of enemy territory.

"I just completed my scan of the building. There are multiple floors going both above and below ground. I haven't been able to narrow down the location of the Hive incantation, but hopefully I'll find it soon." Diana's Ghost explained for the group.

"Each of us Ghosts will be monitoring the flow of energy. If anything comes up, we'll notify you." Tobias' Ghost added.

* * *

Deep within the palace, a lone silhouette watched as the Guardians separated into their three teams to search the palace. In particular though, they focused on Undaunted, closely following them as they commenced their mission.

"Our fated clash will finally take place Tobias." He said to himself with a small chuckle, eager to engage the Guardians.

* * *

"Raid teams, we've been compromised." Zavala stated over the comms.

"Yeah, we know." Niko barked in return as he stood behind a small pillar, occasionally peeking out to take a few shots at the Taken that were hounding them in the large chamber that they had previously been inspecting.

Just a few minutes ago they had been quietly trekking through the palace in search of any fluctuations that could hopefully lead them to the source of the incantation. Undaunted was the first to report that they had discovered some on unusual activity, but that turned out to a Taken opponent.

A Taken Archon to be specific.

"That thing is huge!" Carmen exclaimed as they looked up at the massive beast that had been waiting for them. And upon engaging it, it howled loudly, sending a quake through the palace that alerted all everyone that there were enemies inside. The Taken began to swarm them almost immediately as Undaunted fought this Archon.

And within minutes, all of the raid teams found themselves being smothered by the Taken as they tried to progress through the palace.

* * *

"Ghost, this is it isn't it?" Zeke asked as he and his team stood in a large chamber with a massive pit at the center of it. The pit was completely white, almost blinding at the bottom, contrasting the dark colors of the chamber they stood in now. Numerous pillars were protruding from the walls of the pit that would likely have to use to jump down.

"Yup, the fluctuations are coming from down below." His Ghost replied, earning a laugh from Zeke.

"I didn't think it be so obvious." He said, earning a nod of agreement from the rest of the team.

"This is raid team two calling in, we've tracked the energy fluctuations through the palace and we're closing in on source of the incantation." Axel explained over the comms as he watched Zeke and Sheryl leap down into the pit, bounding off of the pillars before vanishing into the white light below. "Tell Eris we're almost ready to open the transmat."

"She's ready and waiting." One of the operators replied.

"Excellent." Axel said as the remaining three Guardians jumped down as well, leaving him to follow them down. Axel gave a whoop as he jumped over the edge, beginning to plummet down into the pit. Unlike everyone else who took their time, moving from pillar to pillar, Axel went straight to the bottom, passing all his teammates who he gave a wave to.

As the light became blinding, Axel glanced at his radar to see if it could detect anything for him to get a bearing on his location, but it was of no use. It was just as lost as he was at this point. They were flying blind here.

"Do you see anything Axel?" Sheryl asked since he had passed them.

"Nothing so far." Axel replied.

"I don't see anything either." Zeke added.

Axel rotated in the air and put his hands behind his head as the drop continued with no end in sight. But in doing so he failed to notice that his fall was indeed coming to an end. Beneath him a steep decline hill took shape which Axel hit hard.

"Gah!" Axel groaned as he hit the ground, beginning to roll down the hill until he collided with one of the small columns which stopped him from going any further. "That hurt."

"What happened Axel?" Zeke asked upon hearing his teammate groan and complain.

"I found the bottom." He said as he rose up, standing on the column to look down at the scene in front of him. After passing through the bright light from above, this tunnel was dark, lit by only a few small torches that were mounted on the walls with green flames. It was long tunnel that had a sharp decline with columns that varied in size rising from the floor. And at the bottom of the tunnel was a large doorway that likely led to the chamber they were searching for.

Soon enough the rest of the raid team landed down in the tunnel, using the columns to stop themselves from sliding down to the bottom of the end of the tunnel.

"As much as I want to run in there, we can't be reckless." Zeke said to all of them as they slowly moved down from column to column, allowing their Ghosts to map out the area.

"My radar is still dead, so rushing in isn't a good idea to begin with." Sheryl stated. They had no idea what was waiting for them down in this room below.

"It's just one room down there." Zeke's Ghost said having finished mapping the small area they were in now. "And I can confirm that there's no enemies in there."

"Well it looks like we'll wrap things up without a problem." Axel said with a grin as they jumped down from the columns to the floor where they began to slide down the hill, speeding down to the chamber below.

Arriving at the entrance, they wasted no time entering to see what was waiting for them. It was a large, circular and empty room, just like Zeke's Ghost had said. Stepping in, Zeke heard a splash before looking down. He couldn't see it, but there was water on the floor. It was so dark in this room since the only source of light was a very faint green hue that came from a pedestal at the center of the room.

"That's it, the source of the incantation." Zeke's Ghost said as their Ghosts appeared to light the room a bit as they split up to begin examining the room for anything else.

"This is raid team two, we've found the source." Zeke declared through the comms. "My Ghost is opening the transmat for Eris."

"Good work team two, she's on her way." The operator replied.

Zeke's Ghost split its shell, opening the pathway for Eris to join them in this room. Several blue sparkles began to appear, gathering together as they took on the shape of a Guardian. It took a few moments before the form materialized, but once the sparkles faded away, they could see that Eris had made it through safe and sound.

"Yes, this is it." Eris said without even glancing around the room. She could feel Oryx's presence in the room. Zeke raised his eyebrows as she turned to the center of the room, approaching the pedestal. It was small, but hovering above it was a small stone, similar to the one that Eris carried with her.

Placing her hands around the light it was producing, Eris shut her eyes and her hands began to flow softly.

"This will take some time." She stated. This incantation wasn't done by Oryx himself, but whoever made it was powerful as well. She would need time to break this one down.

"That won't be a problem, there isn't much to do anyway." Zeke noted as he looked around at the rest of his teammates as they joined him and Eris at the center of the room. "Good work team, we knocked this out without a hitch."

"Don't get ahead of yourself Zeke, we still have to get back out of here once Eris shuts down the shield." Sheryl pointed out, causing them all to realize that they had jumped down into the pit, but how would they get back up it?

"Shoot man, I didn't even think about that." He noted. There weren't stuck down here. There must have been a wait for them get out. Maybe some kind of secret path that would take them back up to the palace.

"Well we're underground aren't we?" Axel asked as he looked toward Zeke's Ghost.

"We certainly are." It replied.

"We could always dig a tunnel like we're escaping from prison." Axel suggested with a chuckle.

"With spoons too?" Sheryl added.

"Exactly." Axel said as the two shared a laugh along with everyone else, but small laugh came to a sudden end as everyone felt a chill run down their spines.

"Did you feel that?" Zeke asked as they all looked around, reaching for their weapons.

"Someone else is here." Sheryl said.

"There!" Zeke's Ghost exclaimed as a circle of green flames lit up on the other end of the room. Their Ghosts began to tremble as a figure began to rise up from the water on the floor, freaking out just about all of them. Their Ghosts quickly vanished at this as all of them now readied their weapons.

Around the perimeter of the room, green flames were lit, providing them with enough light to see the figure that had appeared before them. But it became a blur before any of them could get a decent look at it.

"It's going for Eris!" Sheryl snapped as she jumped in front of Eris, drawing her hand cannon and using it to block and attack from their opponent who now stood in front her for all of them to see.

Sheryl's eyes became wide as she stared at the person standing in front of her. She recognized the helmet, the robes, and the boots. Only a Guardian would wear something like this. But this Guardian wasn't part of their team. He was attacking them!

"What's a Guardian doing down here?!"

* * *

A/N

Oh man, I've been so pumped to get to this point in the story. I've been envisioning these chapters for months and now I'm finally posting them.

I have nothing to say this time but to keep an eye out for the next update. Thank you all for reading and I hope to see you at the next chapter!


	23. Reclaiming Earth : Counterparts

**Chapter 23**

* * *

Tobias felt his stomach drop after hearing Sheryl's question through the comm line.

 _"_ _What's a Guardian doing down here?!"_

She didn't bother to describe this Guardian, but based on the way she posed the question, Tobias could assume that it was someone besides the raid teams present in the palace. And Tobias had sinking feeling in his gut that he knew this person. The man...no, Tobias wasn't really sure what to call him. But that, person, that he had met below the surface of the Moon, Titus. It had to be him.

"Tobias!" Diana screamed, finally snapping him out of his thoughts. Tobias blinked once before he finally got a grasp on the situation. The Taken Archon they had been fighting loomed over him, its shrapnel launcher poised and ready pelt him with projectiles.

'Crap!' Tobias exclaimed to himself. This was no time to be getting distracted by his thoughts. But it was too late already; there was no way he could move fast enough to escape being hit at point blank range. All he could do was stare down the barrel of this weapon which glowed blue. But a bulky body came to his rescue, tackling him as the Archon fired its weapon.

Tobias was sent tumbling across the floor from this sudden hit, but otherwise he was completely unharmed. With a groan he shook his head a bit before noticing that someone had extended a hand toward him, offering to help him back to his feet. It was Shaxx!

"Did you fall asleep out there Tobias?" Niko hollered as Shaxx pulled him up, but Tobias ignored the slight jab as he set his sights on the Taken Archon.

"There's no time to waste, we have to go back up Zeke's team now!" Tobias declared, surprising all of them.

"I don't know if you've noticed Tobias, but we have our hands full at the moment!" Carmen called out to him as she dove to her left to avoid being hit by the azure projectiles from the Archon's weapon. The six of them had been fighting this Archon for a little while now, making quick work of the Taken forces that had accompanied it. Now it was just a duel between them and the Taken Archon who was proving to be more persistent and durable than any of them would've thought.

Setting his sights on the Archon, Tobias could see that it was struggling to keep up trying to fight six different opponents. It's back was currently turned to him as it fired at Carmen who had gained its full attention. Raising his right hand, Tobias ignited it with Void Light which quickly expanded as he dashed toward the Archon. As he neared the Archon, Tobias jumped at it and thrusted his hand into its back, unleashing a swirling mass of Void Light onto its back. With a yelp Carmen dove out of the way as the Archon was suddenly thrown toward her. She barely escaped being clipped by the Archon as it flew by her, crashing into the wall with a howl of pain.

Once it was back on its feet, the Archon stumbled around for a few moments, clearly shaken from being hit by a Nova Bomb. But the Archon then roared at them as it spun around to face the team.

"We've been hammering this thing for a while now; if we attack all at once, there's no way it'll get back up!" Tobias declared as his hands became ignited with Void Light once again. "Come on, let's finish this!"

Niko quickly took the lead on this attack as he summoned his Void Bow and notched in an arrow. Firing it at the feet of the Archon, the arrow became an anchor on the floor from which a purple rope latched onto the Archon, leaving it as an easy target for everyone else. Struggling to break free from the Tether, the Archon only had a moment to look up to see the full arsenal of a Guardians abilities flying towards it. Everything from flaming hammers to shockwaves of Arc Light. With shouts of approval the Guardians watched as the Archon vanished within a thick cloud of smoke after the impact, forcing them to wait anxiously to see the results.

It didn't take long before the smoke cleared away, revealing to them that throwing out all their attacks at once was clearly overkill with the amount of damage they did to the surrounding corridor. But the Taken Archon was no where to be found. They had succeeded.

"Al-right!" Carmen exclaimed as she gave Niko a high five.

"Come on guys, let's get on the move." Tobias declared as he took the lead.

"Hold on Tobias, what's the rush?" Saladin asked, halting Tobias before he could get too far from the rest of them.

"Didn't you guys hear Sheryl, something's going on down there." Tobias replied as he looked around at the rest of the team who didn't have the urgency that he had at the moment.

"I didn't hear anything." Niko noted.

"Yeah, same here." Diana added.

"But...I definitely heard Sheryl." Tobias trailed off, unsure of if he was just hearing things now. No, he was positive that he had heard Sheryl.

"You didn't hear her Tobias. I replayed that for you to hear." His Ghost stated through a private channel between the two of them. "Her Ghost sent out a distress signal while trying to pull up any information on a rogue Guardian. But the person they're fighting down there matches the description of a certain someone we met in the Moon."

"You think its him?"

"Most definitely. He's back and I have to tell them."

"What, no!" Tobias exclaimed.

"Tobias, I already gave you my one and only warning. The moment he establishes himself as an enemy, I was going to speak to the highest authority. This Titus guy, he's clearly down there attacking the other raid team. I can't sit here any longer and act like I don't know anything." His Ghost declared, causing Tobias to sigh deeply.

"Alright, alright. Just leave this to me." Tobias said softly.

"What exactly are you planning?"

"I'm going to go down there, and if Titus really is an enemy...then I'll take care of him myself." Tobias stated.

"Alright, I'll leave this for you for now. But if things begin to escalate, I'm going to go directly to Lord Saladin and Lord Shaxx." His Ghost replied before closing the private channel between them for Tobias to speak with the rest of the team.

"Tobias?" Diana hollered at him, waving her hands in front of his helmet to finally receive his attention.

"What? What happened?" He asked as he looked around, noticing that everyone was looking at him.

"Are you sure you you're okay? You've zoned out twice in like the last three minutes." She noted, causing him to shake his head.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." Tobias said quickly before stepping toward his teammates. "Axel's Ghost left us the coordinates to the location where they jumped down. I think we should head over there and lock down the entrance."

Tobias had read the reports about Undaunted's missions into the Black Garden and the Hellmouth. The entrances to both of these areas were well protected by their respective inhabitants, requiring that the Guardians station clear out the enemies and station themselves there while Undaunted went in to complete their mission. They would likely have to do the same thing here.

Saladin gave him a nod. Perhaps he was caught up in the past thinking that everyone should handle their own business on their own, or perhaps Ikora's suspicions were weighing on his mind more than he thought.

 _"_ _While they've done nothing to even suggest that they could be conspiring, I want you to keep a close eye on them." Ikora said as she went over the task she was giving to Saladin and Shaxx. "They're an impressive team, like nothing we've seen in quite some time. This is just a precaution."_

"We'll go then." Saladin said as he motioned for them all to get moving.

"Alright, I'm locking in the coordinates now." Tobias' Ghost declared. "I'll guide you there."

"Take us away then!" Niko hollered as the small drone zipped down the corridor.

* * *

"Oh my God!" Carmen exclaimed as she and the rest of her teammates found themselves completely pinned down behind several columns. Hundreds of Taken and Hive flooded the corridor that led to the coordinates Axel's Ghost had left them. And being in an enclosed space, it gave them little room to take cover from the onslaught of attacks that they were being pelted with. "It's going to take us forever to get past these guys!"

"That's not all, there's even more of them further down. I don't think their numbers will start dwindling any time soon!" Her Ghost informed them.

"We're close to those coordinates. If we coordinate we can make a push for it and then hold our ground there." Shaxx suggested as he eyed the corridor. Not too far from them he could see the doorway to the chamber that they were searching for. They couldn't back away now. "I'll switch to Defender, but we're going to need more than one Ward of Dawn with how high the enemy count is."

"I'm on it." Tobias declared as he jumped out into the center of the corridor and threw down a protective dome that blocked off the spray of small energy bolts from the Taken. Shaxx then joined him in the bubble, placing his own so that they were now stacking the benefits.

"Diana, take the lead!" Saladin called out as he summoned his hammer, becoming ignited in flames. "I'm right behind you."

"You got it!" She said as she leapt into the air where she curled up as electricity became to crackle around her body. She then thrusted her hands downward, hurling a large lightning bolt at the floor which took a number of the Taken that had gotten to close to them. Diana then descended to the floor with her arms outstretched, chaining lightning outward at surrounding horde. They were blasted away by the dozens as Diana pressed forward with Saladin right behind her, hurling his hammer at any of the remaining foes as they made a hard push forward.

"Great work!" Saladin declared as Diana's Stormtrance came to an end. He quickly dove in front of her to block the return fire from the Taken before a Ward of Dawn was placed over them, shielding them.

"Now it's our turn!" Niko declared as he and Carmen pulled out their tantos. Both of them gained a blue hue as they entered Arc Blade before they darted out of the safety of the Ward of Dawn and into the enemies ahead of them. Charging from one enemy to the next, the two of them tore through the Taken and Hive, cutting them down with their blades and unleashing shockwaves to knock them out in greater numbers.

"Good work, just one more push!" Shaxx called out as Diana and Saladin returned having collected the Orbs that had been left from the Ward of Dawns.

"Leave it to us!" Diana and Saladin said together as Carmen and Niko retreated to the bubbles Tobias and Shaxx had placed together.

Once again Diana and Saladin bombarded the Taken with their combination of the Hammer of Sol and Stormtrance, beating back their forces until the Guardians had gotten to the doorway leading to the chamber that matched the coordinates they received. Tobias and Shaxx each placed a Ward of Dawn down in front of the doorway in an attempt to seal it off from the Taken, but trying to hold their ground in this room didn't seem like a great idea.

"If we get pinned in here its all over!" Shaxx hollered as he emptied a full clip of his machine gun into the Taken that were rapidly closing up around them.

"I'll cut them off completely." Diana declared as her Ghost dropped her Gjallerhorn into her hands. Diana quickly loaded the weapon and them jumped out into the corridor where she took aim at the ceiling. As soon as she pulled the trigger, Diana dove back into the safety of the Ward of Dawns where she could watch as the shell rushed up to the ceiling. They all stumbled a bit as the force of the explosion shook the entire corridor, causing the ceiling to come crashing down.

Just as Diana had planned, the roof caved in, sealing off the corridor from the majority of the Taken forces who had been trying to advance. All they had to do was clean up those that had been on the opposite side which was quick and easy. They had successfully put this area on lock down.

"That should by us some time." Diana said as she stepped into the small chamber now where everyone was peering down into the pit at the center of the room.

"This is it." Tobias' Ghost said to him.

"I'm going in." Tobias stated as he shocked the entire time by jumping over the edge, beginning to descend into the pit.

"Tobias!" Diana shouted as she jumped in after him without the slightest hesitation.

"What are you two doing?!" Saladin hollered before two more figures leaped into the pit in pursuit of Diana and Tobias. Looking up, Saladin only had a moment to spot Shaxx as he got a running start to dive into the pit just like everyone else, leaving the Iron Lord to sigh deeply. He didnt have much of a choice at this point.

* * *

"Ghost, have been able to contact anyone?!" Zeke asked sharply as he, Axel and Sheryl stood around Eris, their eyes darting around the room in search of Titus.

"No, this Guardian or whatever it is we're fighting is creating some heavy interference. I can't get through to anyone." His Ghost replied.

"Well damn." Zeke muttered. This situation had already gone from bad to worse. Now it was head from worse to hopeless.

They had been fighting Titus for a fair amount of time now, and he was steadily eliminating their team. He had already consumed Sander, Mira and Archer in the Darkness. Their Ghosts were gone with no hope of ever returning, cutting their raid team in half. The chance of success was becoming minuscule as this fight progressed.

"Is now a bad time to say I love you guys?" Axel asked, catching both Sheryl and Zeke off guard.

"What the heck are you talking about?" Zeke exclaimed.

"It was something I've never told the two of you. I've really come to cherish the time I've spent working with the two of you." Axel continued.

"Axel will you shut it?" Zeke snapped at him. "Talking like that makes it sound like you already gave up."

Axel shook his head a bit at this. Even though it looked like there was no chance of them beating Titus, Zeke was still the same. Ready to fight even though he was in way over his head. And Axel was more than prepared to fight beside this man to his last breath.

"But just for the record, I love you guys too." Zeke said softly as he turned his back to the two of them to check their blind spot.

"Aww, I knew you'd say it!" Axel exclaimed, earning a snort from Zeke. Axel then looked toward Sheryl who had yet to say anything. "Come on Sheryl."

"Yeah, I love you all too." Sheryl muttered under her breath.

"What, I didn't catch that?" Axel said, but before he could attempt to tease Sheryl his radar flashed. Titus was on the offensive again.

"Focus guys." Zeke said as each of them tightened their grip on their weapons, scanning the room for anything that could give away Titus' location. He was too quick and dangerous for them to rely on their radar. It was up their instincts if they were going to fight him.

"6 o'clock!" Sheryl called out after seeing a small splash in the water in front of her. All of them began to spray bullets into that direction, hoping to keep Titus at bay, but they hit nothing but air.

Titus frowned a bit as he observed them from the far wall of the room, completely invisible as he blended in with the darkness. He couldn't understand why these three were trying so hard. Three of their teammates had been killed off already, and Titus was in full control. It was up to him when he wanted to kill them. He could've killed Eris already, but he knew that killing her would bring their mission to an abrupt end. Tobias wouldn't come down here if they couldn't complete this mission.

Their fated showdown was going to take place. All he had to do was be patient. And these three Guardians standing before him would help him pass the time. Titus went on the attack again.

"11 o'clock!" Zeke called out this time causing all three of them to turn and shoot, but Titus was gone already.

"Gah!" Axel shouted as he took a blow to his stomach that threw him across the room. Crashing into the wall, he groaned as he dropped to the floor. That hit really hurt.

"Axel!" Sheryl shouted as she dashed over to him, but she was intercepted by Titus who crashed into her to send her tumbling away. Zeke licked his lips as he held his auto rifle, trying to find Titus but to no avail. As much as he wanted to run out to help his teammates, one of them had to remain with Eris as the last line of defense.

Sheryl quickly got back on her feet, deciding that she would try to match the speed that Titus possessed. Arc Blade would be her answer as she began channeling Arc Light through her body, heightening her senses and increasing her strength. Hopefully this would allow her to compete with Titus. Scanning the room with her improved vision, Sheryl spotted a blur that was raced around the perimeter of the flames, something that they had failed to notice the entire time. That must have been where Titus was hiding.

Titus suddenly burst out, making a beeline toward Axel who was finally back on his feet.

"Oh no you don't!" Sheryl declared as she sprung forward, moving to intercept Titus which she did successfully. Using her tanto to block his forearm, Titus came to a full stop as he stared at her in surprise, although this was hidden by his helmet.

'She was too slow to react before.' He noted as he examined her closely. Sheryl was prepared to attack with her blade from her current position, but Titus' forearm suddenly latched onto her tanto, preventing her from yanking it free. 'I see, she's channeling Arc Light through her body and using all of this frenetic energy to increase her speed and power. Interesting.'

Struggling to pull her tanto away, Sheryl then drew her hand cannon from the holster on her hip and pointed it at Titus, but his reaction was instantaneous. Before she could pull the trigger he was behind her with one hand outstretched which morphed into a length dark saber. As Sheryl began to turn around Titus pierced her torso from behind, putting the blade through her completely.

Sheryl froze, gasping a bit before she looked down to see the black sword protruding from her stomach. And on the tip of the sword was her Ghost who turned black as the Light was drained from it. It then crumbled away as dust, leaving Sheryl completely astonished at how fast all this had taken place. Looking down at the sword, she could a see a black aura beginning to expand outward from it that began to travel through her body. It was over for her…

"Sheryl!" Axel and Zeke roared as Titus removed his arm from her, allowing her body to drop to the ground in a heap.

"That's it, you're going to pay!" Axel declared as he began to draw out a large amount of Arc Light. Thrusting his hands at the floor, Axel unleashed a powerful shockwave that sent ripples through the water of the room as he entered Stormtrance.

'These Guardians, they really are interesting.' Titus noted as he studied how Axel was using Arc Light, using it as a weapon directly compared to Sheryl who had used Arc Light to improve both her weapons and her physical limits. Axel screamed as he went charging at Titus, his arms raised as he discharged numerous lightning bolts from them. In response though, Titus raised the arm which had become a saber and stared at it intently.

Zeke's eyes became wide as Titus gained a blue hue, signature to a Hunter activating Arc Blade! Was Titus seriously using Arc Blade!?

"Axel no!" Zeke shouted, but it was too late. Axel had already gotten within attacking range, and he began to cast his lightning bolts onto Titus. Titus raised his saber, drawing in the electricity which made him glow even brighter before he dashed at Axel. The Exo Warlock didn't even had a chance to react as Titus charged through his attack, deflecting the lightening bolts with his saber so that he could race right past him. Axel stifled a breath before he collapsed to the ground, his upper torso completely severed from his lower body.

Zeke froze as he stared at Titus who had stopped moving after delivering the finishing blow to Axel. He stood with his back turned to Zeke, electricity crackling around him and his saber raised for Zeke to see that Axel's Ghost was on it. The small drone turned black before it crumbled to dust, sending chills through Zeke as it finally sunk in. They weren't coming back.

Zeke roared as he threw his auto rifle at the floor, his rage bubbling over as his world turned red. Titus turned to face Zeke fell to his knees, pounding the floor with his fists which became enflamed. Slamming them onto the floor once more, Zeke became engulfed in fire for a few moments which quickly grew larger as the Titan returned to his feet. Suddenly the flames dispersed, revealing the Titan now had a fiery armor and hammer.

'Excellent!' Titus exclaimed at the sight of Zeke's using the Hammer of Sol. All of them had some tricks up their sleeve. Dashing at Zeke, Titus raised his saber and swung with all his might, but Zeke swung back with his hammer. The two weapons connected with a deafening clang, and to Titus' surprise, he was thrown back by Zeke's attack. Such power!

Spinning in the air, Titus adeptly landed on his feet and looked up, ready to engage Zeke in what would hopefully be an entertaining battle. But once again the Titan managed to catch him off guard. Titus took a shoulder to the face which sent him crashing into the wall of the room. Wincing a bit from the hit, Titus rose up once again but he was pinned against the wall by the hammer that Zeke had thrown which exploded on contact. With another shout Zeke came charging with his shoulder out, slamming himself into Titus, smashing him into the wall once again. His body left an imprint on the wall which he became stuck in, but Zeke was far from done.

His hammer returned to his hand, and Zeke used it to beat away Titus, burying him further and further into the wall. Titus had to admit that he was impressed by Zeke's relentless barrage.

'Every single one of them has the potential to become formidable, but this is still nothing compared to Tobias.' Titus said to himself as he took a hard blow to his head from Zeke's hammer which shattered his helmet. Noticing that Zeke's offense came to a stop, Titus looked up at the Titan who was now frozen in place as he saw Titus' face.

"Who-who are you?" Zeke asked as he took a step back. Why was he staring at Tobias?!

Titus gave a small smile in response.

"You're worst nightmare." Titus whispered to him as a new helmet took shape around his head. Zeke suddenly got a chill before he discovered that Titus was already behind him, pressing his saber against Zeke's neck. "It's over for you."

Zeke gulped as he stared at the crackling blade that was above to cut him down. Who was this man that stood behind him? Was this really Tobias, the same Guardian he had worked with in the Cosmodrome before they evacuated the Last City? It couldn't be…could it?

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" A new voice declared. Titus suddenly received a knee to his face, blasting him away from Zeke who sunk to his knees.

"Zeke, are you okay?" A familiar voice asked him as Zeke, tilted his head to look at the person that had rushed to his side. It was Diana. "Where's the rest of your team?"

"I'm…the only one." Zeke replied as he now saw the rest of their raid team gathering in the room. "That guy killed all of them."

This was a bone chilling statement as the six new arrivals stared at Titus. He had already killed five Guardians. He was definitely a threat. Titus observed the newest team to enter the chamber, a smile forming on his face as he recognized the Guardian that had just attacked him.

"So you've finally arrived." Titus stated, pleased that his battle with Tobias was finally going to take place.

"Is that a, Guardian?!" Niko exclaimed as they all stared at their opponent. Shaxx and Saladin felt their heart skip a beat as they eyed Titus. Was he a rogue Guardian? Was a Guardian really working with Oryx?

"Don't let this affect your performance. He's taken lives already. He's the enemy." Saladin said to rally his teammates, although he quickly found out this was unnecessary. Titus' helmet cracked suddenly as he was thrown off his feet, causing everyone's head to whirl around. Niko was kneeling down, his Stillpiercer in hand.

"You don't have to tell me twice." Niko said as he straightened up. Titus already killed five Guardians. Niko wasn't going to let him claim another life. And he was certain that this headshot had brought Titus to an end.

"Ouch." Titus said he got up from the ground, irritated that he had taken such a hit while he was distracted with Tobias. The damage done to his helmet closed up, as if he had never been shot, putting all of them on edge.

"He not some normal Guardian." Zeke stated. "I don't know what he is."

'It's clear that his teammates will interfere. I have to keep them busy as well.' Titus said to himself as he snapped his fingers. He would provide them with something else to focus on. The black water on the floor began to ripple and bubble before several bodies began to rise from it. All of the Guardians took a step back at the sight of their single glowing eye that really stood out in the dark room. The Taken had been summoned.

Dozens of Taken Acolytes, Thrall and Knights now filled the room, closing up around the Guardian who had quickly moved to Eris, forming a perimeter around her. The Taken quickly swarmed them, everyone but Tobias.

'Why aren't they attacking me?' Tobias asked himself before noticing that Titus was waiting for him a little farther out, away from the forces he had summoned. Titus raised his only hand a motioned for Tobias to join him out there. Saladin and Shaxx eyed Tobias curiously as they avoided enemy fire, watching as he walked out to meet Titus. The Taken paid him no mind whatsoever. What was going on?!

"It's time Tobias." Titus said as he raised his saber which crackled. "Our first showdown."

Tobias eyed him cautiously, trying to determine how he would fight Titus. He wasn't sure what to expect from him, but Tobias was certain that he was using something similar to Arc Blade currently. He would just have to test the waters at first and see where this goes. Drawing his tanto blade from the sheath on his waist, Tobias activated Arc Blade as well in order to combat Titus.

"I had feeling you would have this skill. I'm glad I copied it from that woman already." Titus noted before he burst forward, making the first move. Titus went on the offensive, swinging away at Tobias who began to weave and sway, avoiding his attacks.

'Even though he's moving so fast, I can still read all of his movements.' Tobias said to himself, pleased to see that he was making progress. Raising his tanto now, their blades clashed as they now fought to test each other's strength. Both of them were silent as their arms began to tremble, waiting for a break in the stalemate. Finally they decided to break apart seeing that their strength was even, but they quickly reengaged, swinging away at each other with their blades. Neither of the two were swordsman, but their reaction time was so fast that they were both masterfully evading being cut down by the other.

"It looks we're going to have to turn things up a notch Tobias." Titus stated as he took a wild swing at Tobias. His saber became even brighter as Tobias swayed backward to avoid it, but a shockwave was released from the blade as it passed by, blasting Tobias right in the face which sent him reeling.

Even after taking this surprise hit though, Tobias was still focused. Rolling in the air to land on his feet, Tobias only had a split second to barrel roll to his right to avoid Titus who had already closed the distance between them. Titus chopped down with his sword after closing in on Tobias, but he managed to escape this powerful blow which left a sizable indentation on the floor. Tobias gulped audibly at the sight of this; he probably would've been dead if he had been hit by that. Titus wasn't kidding when he said he'd turn things up a notch.

Tobias couldn't hold anything back either if he was going to fight this man.

"Open fire!" Diana commanded, and Titus found himself being sprayed with bullets as the other Guardians were now backing up Tobias again. They had made quick work of the Taken he had summoned.

'I see, this group is far superior to that first one.' Titus said as he called upon the Taken once again. Many more began to climb out of the water, far more than the first wave he had called in. But accompanying this wave was a large Taken Archon, just like the one they had fought above in the palace. 'This should keep them busy.'

"Tobias, are you okay?" Diana asked him as she and the other began to fire upon the steadily increasing enemy numbers.

"I'm fine, you can leave this guy to me." Tobias stated. He could tell Titus was singling him out, trying to make sure that his allies were busy as they fought. And so could the rest of the Guardians.

"Alright, we'll maintain our perimeter around Eris!" Shaxx called out as the group closed up around her once again, leaving Tobias to continue his battle with Titus.

Titus once again was the first to attack as the two of them began to combat each other again, but Tobias didn't sit back on defense this time. He couldn't allow these shockwaves that Titus was emitting to hit him. Using his tanto to block Titus' saber, the shockwaves were going out in all sorts of directions due to the early contact which allowed Tobias to stay at close range as he fought. Blocking a low swipe from Titus, Tobias was starting to get into a rhythm as he raised his leg and landed a kick to Titus' open chin.

Titus was caught off guard by this blow since Tobias had keep his attacking to a minimum, but it looked like he was finally ready to get going. Tobias was quick to take this opportunity with Titus floating in the air, clearly a little stunned from the kick. Blinking up to him, Tobias raised his tanto and dropped it down onto Titus' abdomen which sent him crashing down into the ground.

"How'd you like that?" Tobias asked as he landed on the ground.

Titus only laughed as he rested on the ground, pleased that Tobias was going to make a match of this.

"Great Tobias, keep it up!" Titus shouted as he got back on his feet. "Let's see how strong you really are!"

The two of them charged at each other, entering another exchange of attacks, but Titus began to notice that Tobias was losing focus. Why?

"Crap man!" Niko mumbled as he gunned down a pair of Acolytes before diving to his left to avoid the flames that were spewed out by a nearby Knight. They were getting overwhelmed. Not only by the sheer number of Taken, but the Archon that was relentless attacking them.

"Gah!" Diana exclaimed in pain as she was blindsided by the Archon. She was hit by his forearm and thrown off her feet across the room, coming skidding to a halt in no man's land. She had been separated from the team and the Taken quickly closed up around her.

"Diana!" Tobias exclaimed as he ducked down to avoid Titus' swing and spun, sweeping Titus off his feet. Tobias then took off in a dash toward Diana, his hands becoming wrapped in Void Light. Tobias quickly swung his hand through the air, throwing a Shatter Nova Bomb down onto the forces surrounding Diana, clearing away a portion of them for her to get through.

"Tobias, that was unnecessary!" Saladin shouted at him. They were more than capable of clearing a path for Diana to return to them. Tobias doing this only put him in a bad spot now.

"He's right Tobias." Titus whispered to him as he now stood behind him. Tobias tried to get some distance from Titus, but it was too late. He became wrapped in pain as Titus' cut through him with his saber. Gasping, Tobias grasped his right shoulder in pain, but there was nothing there.

Titus had severed his right arm in an instant. Tobias collapsed to the ground in pain, his vision becoming hazy as Titus kneeled down beside him.

"You should never turn your back to your opponent Tobias. Especially when that opponent is me." Titus whispered to him.

"Tobias! Get away from him!" Diana screamed as she began channeling Arc Light, entering Stormtrance. She quickly began to advance toward Titus, ready to send him into an electrical oblivion for hurting Tobias. Titus only smiled at this.

He now understood why Tobias was losing focus. He was becoming preoccupied with thoughts of his teammates, and that would be his downfall.

"I'll make her suffer." Titus stated as he rose up. That statement echoed in Tobias's mind as his vision cleared up. He saw Titus step over him, raising his saber as he prepared to engage Diana as she approached him.

'No.' Tobias said as Titus burst forward, bypassing the lightning bolts Diana was spamming and attacking her from the side. Diana gasped as she was suddenly pinned against the wall with Titus' black saber pressed against her neck. Diana glared at him as Osiris' words echoed in her mind.

 _"_ _With the creation of Tobias, a Vessel of the Light, I fear the thought of there being a creation of the Darkness that was born to be his equivalent..."_

Was this what Osiris feared? Could this be the equivalent he was thinking off?

If he was, then Diana would do everything in her power to destroy him now. Summoning all her strength, Diana maximized the output of her Stormtrance. She began to glow brightly as a dense field of electricity began to expand from her, enveloping both of them.

"Rah!" Titus gave a roar as he raised his saber, using it as a lightning rod to take in Diana's attack with little damage done to himself. Diana was in shock that Titus was capable of such a feat. She had sacrificed a lot of her energy thinking she would be able to take care of them with this attack, but now she felt the drain as her arms dropped to her side. But Titus wasn't done with her.

He was more than impressed with the amount of power she could unleash. He was going to take all of it for himself. Placing his saber against her neck once again, Titus began to draw out the Light within Diana, draining it from her.

Tobias could see the black aura surrounding Titus take a hold of the white aura surrounding Diana, beginning to squeeze it. He was taking the Light straight out of her. She was going to die! He had to save her!

"No!" Tobias howled as forced himself to his feet.

Everyone in the room froze feeling as an enormous weight had been placed on them, even Titus and the Taken couldn't ignore it. They all turned to Tobias who was shining brilliantly. The room began to quake, sending ripples through the water as Tobias screamed to the heavens above. He wouldn't let Titus hurt anyone else!

Titus' eyes became wide as he released his hold on Diana, now focused solely on Tobias.

"Yes, this is it! What I've been waiting to see!" He declared as Tobias now vanished within the light completely.

"What's happening?!" Carmen exclaimed as she and the others stood in awe at the power Tobias was drawing out. It was like nothing they have ever seen before.

Soon enough the light surrounding Tobias died down enough for them to see him once again. Tobias was white now, his clothing, his armor, everything was white. He stood tall, his cloak flapping behind him. Then he looked down at his hands, noticing that his right hand was back. Examining his right arm, Tobias could see that it was fully intact. The Light had reconstructed it for him almost instantly, and now he was going to use it to bring Titus to his end.

Tobias burst across the room, closing in on Titus so fast that he couldn't even react to it. Tobias then palmed his helmet and rushed forward again, slamming him into the wall where Tobias began to pound away Titus using just his fists. The room shook with each blow as Tobias smashed further and further into the wall.

'Such…power!' Titus exclaimed in between gasps. This was too much for him to take, even with all of the power he had taken from Diana.

Recognizing the greater threat in Tobias, the Taken abandoned their attack on the Guardians and began to focus on Tobias. Taking a hit to his back, Tobias turned to see that the Taken had already gathered around him, but this was far from enough to beat him in his current state. Raising one hand as it became engulfed in light, Tobias swung it at the Taken behind them, unleashing three glowing spheres at them which collided with the floor in front of them.

The Guardians eyes became wide as the Taken who were hit directly by these orbs were blown backward just a few feet before they exploded, vaporizing the Taken behind them. It was like a chain effect as the Taken numbers rapidly dropped to zero from just this one attack.

'Incredible!' Titus exclaimed almost gleefully as he watched Tobias quickly dash over to Diana.

She gasped as she was suddenly swept off her feet by Tobias and taken over to the rest of the team where he left her in their care. Tobias then returned his attention to Titus who was back on his own two feet, ready to continue with their duel.

'Let's see just how far you can go with this Tobias.' Titus said as he extended his arms in opposite directions, began to draw out the power he had been granted from Oryx. The black water that had been resting on the floor of the room began to gather around him, rising the floor to surround his arms. Everyone could feel Titus' presence become much stronger as he continued to absorb the water.

"What's he doing?" Carmen asked.

"Like I should know." Niko responded as all of them except Tobias took a step backward instinctively. Even though they had experienced it a few times now, feeling Oryx's suffocating power still sent chills through all of them.

Seeing that Titus was feeding off of whatever power filled the water, Tobias knew that it would be best if he ended this as fast as possible. But he would need a weapon. Raising one hand, the light began to gather in his palm, becoming the handle of sword. The blade was long and thin, shining brightly as Tobias swung it through the air, checking its weight. It was like a feather in his hand, as if he wasn't even holding anything.

All of the Guardians were mesmerized by the Light that radiated off of Tobias, eliminating the ill filling that had been washing over them from Titus and the Blight above the fortress. Tobias was giving them the same warmth they could only feel from the Traveler.

"Hah!" Tobias roared as Titus finished draining the room of all of the water. His power had increased tenfold as a dark aura flared around him, but Titus didn't even have a chance to put this to use. The same sword Tobias had just created was now buried in his chest.

Titus gasped for a moment as he looked down. He didn't even see Tobias move and yet he had managed to skewer him already. Tobias then twisted the sword as it became brighter, causing Titus scream in pain. Cracks of light began to extend from the sword throughout his torso before Titus grabbed onto the blade, leaning closer to Tobias.

"This isn't the last you'll see of me. We _will_ meet again." Titus whispered to him before Tobias ripped his sword out of Titus' body and raised his leg to kick him down to the floor. Tobias then raised up his sword, taking one last look at this man. There was so much he wanted to know about him, but he was still a threat, Tobias couldn't allow him to live.

Dropping down his sword onto Titus, Tobias smashed in down into the floor such tremendous force that the room shook violently from this, shocking the Guardians who fought to remain on their feet.

'Was Tobias always this strong?' Diana asked herself as Tobias lifted his weapon, looking down at the unmoving form of Titus. He then began to melt into the floor, leaving behind nothing but a puddle of black water.

"That should do it." Tobias said as he exhaled. The power that had been coursing through him waned, causing the Light that surrounded him to fade away along with the sword. Tobias reverted back to his usual appearance, leaving everyone awestruck as the room became dark once again.

"What the hell was that?!" Niko asked as he and Carmen swarmed Tobias. "All that glowing and crap."

"Teach me how to do it!" Carmen demanded, causing Tobias to shake his head.

 _"_ _Tobias was once a legendary warrior because of the power he received from the Traveler."_

 _"Even so, I think it's safe to say that his potential, far outclasses all of ours combined."_

 _"_ _I think you've got what it takes…to lead Undaunted."_

 _"Tobias is the vessel of the Traveler. He holds the last of its strength and its will."_

 _"_ _That's why you were heralded as hero. You never turned from a battle, or passed on an opportunity to protect someone."_

"I can't...that was, the Radiant Light." Tobias said softly as he looked up in awe.

He was now starting to understand why everyone was putting their trust in him. He had been a granted this power to be turn the tides. He was the difference maker, and it was up to him to change the course of this battle with the Darkness.

'I have the power to bring all of this to an end.' Tobias said to himself with a small nod.

Diana, Saladin and Shaxx watched as Tobias exchange words with the Hunters, still amazed by the display he had just put on. The two Titans could understand Ikora's suspicion surrounding Tobias and this team. With every battle they seemed to climb onto a higher plateau.

"It is done." Eris stated, gaining everyone attention. The small rock that floated above the pedestal at the center of the room crumbled away, causing the room to brighten considerably. Eris had done it. The incantation was gone, and their mission was a success.

"Excellent work Guardians!" Shaxx declared as he motioned for them to follow him out of the exit of the room so that they could make their journey back to the surface.

"This is raid team three calling in." Saladin said over the comms. "The shield over the Blight has been removed. You may order the attack on it."

"That's great news!" The operator exclaimed.

"Everyone this is Commander Zavala, our mission into the fortress has been a success. The particle cannon will be firing in few minutes, so you must evacuate immediately!" Zavala commanded.

"Zeke, come on!" Shaxx shouted at the Titan who was still standing in the chamber where they had fought Titus.

"It's useless. There's no way back up." Zeke stated. And just as he had said, there was no exit for them to return to the surface.

Niko and Carmen had jumped all the way to the top of the hill, but it ended there. There was no means to return to the palace. The pit they had jumped into was a one way trip to this chamber.

"Aww crap, you can't be serious!" Carmen complained as she and Niko slid back down the hill to the entrance of the chamber. They had completed their mission in epic fashion, but they wouldn't have a movie style getaway.

"What are we going to do?" Tobias asked as he looked around at the group.

"When that particle cannon fires, it's going to destroy the fortress above us and everything within a ten mile radius." Saladin noted. "Once it fires, we're going to die."

* * *

A/N

I've been dying to post this chapter. I've had it written for a little while now but when I was going to post it initially I noticed that I was approaching the one year mark since I published this story, so I figured I would wait. It's been quite an adventure so far and I have so much in store that I can't wait to get to work on.

I think I've said this before but I'm not certain, Taken King is like my springboard into this fic because I've been introducing a lot things that will be readdressed later on. I've been putting in lots of small little hints since starting this arc, and I'm telling you now that something you might have skimmed over will be HUGE later on. For example, there was just a small passage of Osiris speculating of an equivalent to Tobias a couple of chapters ago. Now we have Titus. I'm just saying that little things I might write in passing will probably be developed further in the future.

So until we meet again Guardians, good luck out there! And as always, thanks for the support!


	24. Reclaiming Earth : Finale

**Chapter 24**

* * *

"What are we going to do?!" Carmen was the first to respond to Saladin's statement. Panic filled her voice as she looked around the room in search of something that might let them escape this bitter ending.

But no matter what they could try to do, they were trapped beneath the palace.

"Can't we tell them to stop the particle cannon?!" Carmen asked as she turned to her fellow Guardians. Zeke's head snapped up in response as his gaze became fixated on Carmen.

"Are you out of your mind?! My team was wiped out so that we could shoot down that stinkin' Blight above us! I'll be damned if we let this chance slip away." Zeke stated sharply, surprising all of them.

"Whoa, easy man." Niko said as he approached the Titan, reaching out to place his hand on Zeke's shoulder. But Zeke batted away Niko's hand before turning away from them. His teammates were gone forever. He wouldn't let their sacrifice be in vain.

"Ghost, what about our one way transmats? Can't we use one of those to get out of here?" Diana asked as her small companion formed in front of her.

"A one way transmat can only be used for one person, and each raid team only received one to get Eris in here." Her Ghost explained to them.

"So getting out of here was never part of the plan." Niko noted as he exhaled heavily.

"The Vanguard hastily designed these transmats for this mission. We're lucky that there was three so that each team could be in possession of one." Ghost said as it turned to Niko.

"And it's not like they could account for us getting trapped down here." Saladin added, but Niko remained silent in response.

"So this is it?!" Carmen shouted at them. "We're just going to die down here in a freakin' hole?!"

"It's a worthy sacrifice Carmen." Saladin said as he turned to face. "Your life was given up to ensure that the Earth would be safe to house humanity once again."

Carmen bit down on her lower lip so that she could swallow an outburst. It was of no use now, especially if she wanted to scream at Saladin.

The ultimate goal of this mission was to bring mankind back to Earth, and taking out the Blight above was priority number one. A few Guardians could be lost for the greater good of everyone else.

 **Neo Chicago**

 **The Mulligan**

Within the belly of the Mulligan was the commander center of the base. A room that was packed with monitors, operators, consoles and a constant exchange of information from the base to the Guardians out in the field. Normally the effort of everyone present in this room was split among the fireteams they were overseeing, but today everyone was working in unison, doing what they could to assist the Guardians as they were now making their escape.

Gale stood at the center of the room, along with some of the other commanding officers as the battle approached its climax.

"Nightingale-1, how long until the particle cannon is ready to fire?" One of the commanders asked him, gaining his attention. Gale's optics seemed to zoom in as he looked away from the commander for a moment, retrieving the information that he was looking for.

"Six minutes. It's still cycling." Gale responded. The commander gave him a nod of thanks before placing a hand on his headset, opening a channel to Commander Zavala.

"Commander Zavala, the countdown has reached the six minute mark. Have you and your fireteams returned to the transport?" The commander asked with a small smile. Everything was going perfectly. But his smile soon faded as the situation was explained to him. "They're trapped!?"

The commander remained silent, although his exclamation gained the attention of those around him.

"Quickly, someone bring up the tracers on the raid teams." The commander barked at the operators below. It just a few moments a map of a fortress was projected onto to the main screen, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. The could see the signal of Zavala's team which was already located in the transport, but the other two raid teams were nowhere to be found. "Where's the other raid teams?"

"Both teams announced they found the source of the incantation. They disappeared off our radars right after that." An operator called out to them.

"Expand the parameters then, do everything you can to try and get a reading on their location!" The commander shouted as he stared intently at the map. Soon enough the display began to expand as they searched for anything that could be tied to the raid teams.

"I'm picking up something, although there's a lot of interference." One of them yelled as the map finally showed it as well. "I got seven life signatures, down in a small room."

"Why are they so far below the fortress?" The commander exclaimed as he studied the map.

They were miles beneath it. Far down into the Earth's crust.

"That's probably why we lost contact with them." The operator suggested.

"But that doesn't explain how they got down there. There's no tunnel connecting them to that room." The commander noted. He wasn't a Guardian though, so he was unfamiliar with the Hive. Perhaps there was some sort of portal that took them there? And now they had no way to return…

"That doesn't matter." Gale interjected suddenly, gaining the attention of the commanders. He had already studied the particle cannon extensively, as well as what he was targeting. If his calculations were correct, there was a very small possibility that they could survive the blast since they were so far beneath the surface of the Earth. "They might survive. The initial hit on the Blight will cushion the impact with the Earth afterward. The cannon may not reach them."

"Are you serious?" The commander asked, causing Gale to look up once again, double checking his math.

"I can't say for certain. I don't know the composition of the Blight, but there's still a chance." Gale stated with a nod of confidence.

 **Reef**

 **10 Hygiea**

It had been nearly a week since most if not all of the Guardians had left the Reef with the announcement that they intended to reclaim Earth. It had been an anxious time for mankind. Homesickness plagued them all as they all looked back on their former lifestyles that they enjoyed while on Earth. Any news on the Guardian's effort back on Earth caused them to hold their breath, hoping to hear of success.

But not a soul imagined that they would be able to see a live broadcast of the Guardian's assault on the Hive Fortress. Thousands had gathered in the central plaza, including Trisha and Cody. The large monitors that had previously been used by the Awoken were now displaying various parts of the battlefield as the Guardians fought against the Hive and Taken. And finally, after hours of fighting, Commander Zavala called for the particle cannon to fire.

The anticipation began to grow. This would be their first victory against the Taken. And everyone was eager to see it.

The monitors began to display the particle cannon orbiting Mars. There were gasps from the audience at the sight of the massive weapon as it cycled, charging up to fire.

"Thirty seconds and counting!" An operator declared.

The cannon began to roar as the light coming from the barrel of the weapon became unbearable to look at. There was a buzz among the crowd as the ten second counter began. Some began to say a quick prayer, others raised their hands earnestly hoping for the best.

"Fire!"

A blinding ray of light exited the particle cannon, violently shaking the camera that had been recording this. Everyone got to see this beam of light rush off for the Earth before that camera shut down from the interference created by the particle cannon.

"Impact in ten…nine…"

The broadcast quickly changed to new view, one that was orbiting Earth. But even though this perspective was from outer space, everyone could clearly make out the Taken Blight as it hovered above the fortress.

This time the audience began to count down in unison with the operator, everyone raising their hands above their heads, as if they were trying to offer what support they could from here. The ray of light came crashing down on to the Blight, splitting the clouds on its entry through the atmosphere.

"Impact!"

Everyone became silent as they watched. The clouds that had been surrounding the beam began to spiral around it as though it were the eye of a hurricane. Nervously some of the people shuffled on their feet while others stood on their tip toes trying to ensure that they could see the monitors, waiting for the verdict.

"It was a clean hit!" The operator declared, and the audience roared with approval. "The Blight is gone!"

* * *

The heads of the raid team perked up at the announcement of the Blight being hit. They had been scattered around the room, unsure of how to accept their impending demise.

"You heard them right?" Shaxx asked the group as he rose to his feet.

"Yeah." Niko muttered in response as he stood up. "We got a couple of seconds before it reaches us now."

"Any last words?" Diana asked as him curiously, but Niko shook his head in response.

The room quaked suddenly, surprising all of them.

"That must be the particle cannon!" Shaxx exclaimed as they all looked up.

"This is it!" Saladin shouted.

 _'Tobias, stack your bubbles!'_ A voice called out to him suddenly. Tobias looked around in confusion, unsure of who's voice it was. _'Stack your Ward of Dawns! You won't survive otherwise!'_

"Guys, gather up! We have to stack our bubbles!" Tobias roared as rushed to center of the room where he quickly summoned a Ward of Dawn. The ceiling of the room began to turn bright white as the particle beam approach them, but fortunately it didn't take the others a moment to realize what Tobias was doing. All of them came scrambling into the protective shield while the remaining Titans added their own as well. Huddled together within the dome, the eight Guardians looked up at the blinding light that came crashing down onto them.

* * *

"Zavala, we should assume the worst going into this." Ikora suggested as she studied the Titan Vanguard that stood beside her. The two of them were located within the main chamber of their aircraft with the base open for them to see the battlefield below. It wasn't often that anyone would see the Titan Vanguard so distraught over his losses during a mission, but Ikora had noticed that Zavala had taken a particular interest in fireteam Undaunted.

Zavala remained silent though as he looked down at the remains. What had once been a vast Hive fortress had been reduced to a barren terrain. Everything for miles had been wiped right off the map, but Zavala still held onto the sliver of hope that the raid team _under_ the map had survived.

"I want as many teams down there as possible. The point of impact should take us directly to the chamber they were in." Zavala explained as he motioned for the pilot to keep moving. He couldn't give up. Zavala couldn't deny that he had strong attachments to this raid team. He had worked extensively with Undaunted, not to mention both his former mentor and comrade were down there with them.

"This is Cayde here, I found the spot you're looking for, not that it was really that hard to find. I just had to look for, you know, the giant hole in the ground." Cayde stated over the comms as he peered into the dark pit. There was a massive crater where the particle beam had hit the Earth, with a deep pit at the center. His Ghost had confirmed that it traveled down into the Earth's crust, so this had to be what they were looking for.

"We're on route." Zavala said as the coordinates were given to the pilot who quickly took them to Cayde's location. Descending down to the Cayde and pair of Hunters he had with him, Ikora and Zavala jumped down to the ground to join the group.

"Do you have any readings on them?" Zavala asked immediately as he approached Cayde.

"At the moment, the only life force I can detect is Tobias'. As I'm sure you know, his presence is overwhelming, so it could very well be smothering the others. But at the same time he might be the only one that's alive down there as well." Cayde's Ghost explained to him.

"Well then, looks like we're going down then." Cayde noted as he looked toward his fellow Mentors.

"They're buried down there though. Portions of the pit caved in on them, so we'll have to dig them out." His Ghost informed them. It wasn't going to be a quick rescue, that was for sure.

"Come on, we can fly down." Ikora stated as she motioned to their aircraft. The group of five quickly jumped back into the cabin of the ship before ordering the pilot to take them down into the hole. The pit was incredibly wide, with more than enough from for their air transport to descend into.

"We're close." Cayde's Ghost declared as they all looked down at debris that was preventing them from going any further. "But you'll be digging from this point forward."

"Let's move!" Zavala said as he jumped down. It was an uneven and unsteady surface, but it was far from enough to stop Zavala as he fueled his fists with Arc Light. These boulders and stones were nothing for his Storm Grip as he began to power through them. Just one punch was enough to shatter a boulder that was same size as him.

But the process was long and tedious as they worked. Ikora, Cayde and the other Hunters turned to their Solar abilities, beginning to melt down the chunks of Earth that rested in their path. Zavala stood at the center of the operation, working down through the center until he finally raised his fist and drove it into an object he couldn't break. Grimacing as a sharp pain ran through his wrist, Zavala shook it off before pushing aside some of the surrounding stones aside.

He could feel his chest begin to swell as he saw that he had hit a purple shield. A Ward of Dawn!

"We found them!" Zavala announced as he forgot all about the pain in his hand, beginning to break through the remaining stones above the Ward of Dawn until there was nothing that could pose a threat to the Guardians within it.

The bubbles faded away, revealing the team inside of. All them were in good condition!

Zeke, Shaxx and Saladin all gave a high sigh as they dropped to the ground. It had been hours since they had placed those Ward of Dawns, and it took every ounce of their strength to maintain them. Just withstanding the power of the particle cannon had drained them, but then they had to keep going with the weight of the earth that had caved in on them. These three Titans were absolutely exhausted at the moment.

Saladin though took a moment to glance at Tobias who was standing upright, speaking to Cayde. Even with this test of endurance the four of them had just completed, Tobias was the only one standing at the moment. In fact, Tobias had done most of the heavy lifting for them after the initial blast. His Ward of Dawn was the outermost one, taking on most of the weight. Clearly whatever power Tobias had tapped into was far beyond their current capabilities.

"Is everyone alright?" Zavala asked the group as he got everyone's attention.

"We're not, dead!" Carmen screamed as she jumped for joy, unable to control her excitement.

"Some bumps and bruises, but like Carmen said. We're not dead." Niko added as he gave Zavala a thumbs up. Zavala felt a smile creep up on his face as the other members of Undaunted did the same. They had done it once again.

"This Commander Zavala speaking. We've found the raid teams beneath the fortress. They're safe and sound!"

Cheers erupted over the comms at the success. But as the raid team began to climb into the aircraft, they all failed to notice a shadow scale the walls of the pit, escaping out into the barren plain above them.

 **Neo Chicago**

 **The Mulligan**

 **The Courtyard**

Celebration broke out as the Guardians returned to the Mulligan, enjoying their victory of the Taken. But this was short lived. As much as they wanted to relish in the moment, the Vanguard couldn't allow this. They couldn't be content with just this one victory. This war was far from over.

"Guardians, we still have a lot of work to do!" Zavala announced after silencing the crowd.

The Blight over the fortress was gone, but the Taken still occupied the eastern hemisphere. But with this Blight gone, the Taken's ability to summon an endless supply of troops was gone. The Vanguard was clear to launch their campaign to wipe them out completely. But there was also work to be done on their side of the globe as well. The Fallen that remained on Earth fled to this the ruins of North and South America, and they still posed a threat to mankind and the Traveler.

The Guardians would be dividing their efforts, although the Taken was clearly the larger of the two.

"I will acknowledge that you all did an excellent job destroying the fortress. Take a few days to rest and recuperate, and then contact Xander 99-40 when you're ready to go back into the field!" Zavala stated before turning away from the crowd. He took a moment to glance at Cayde and give him a small nod for the Hunter Vanguard to take over from here.

"You heard the man, you've got a few days off. Don't get too drunk!" Cayde called out, causing everyone to burst into cheers.

 **Hall of Guardians**

The Vanguard Mentors stood in their small headquarters accompanied by the Speaker, Shaxx and Saladin. Each and every one of them had gathered for one reason. To see the recording of Tobias and Titus' duel that Saladin's Ghost had captured. Ikora couldn't believe what she was seeing as she saw Titus in action. He mirrored the abilities of the Guardians perfectly, but it was clear that he was born in the Darkness. How was this possible?

As the recording reached its climax, Tobias disappeared within the light, unearthing an untold power. Their chests became tight once they could see him again, adorned in white. With this newfound power, Tobias overwhelmed Titus and annihilate the Taken that filled the chamber. Even though Shaxx and Saladin had seen this in person, it still sent chills down their spines.

Both Saladin and the Speaker had been around much longer than the other Guardians present, but they had never seen the Light shine so brilliantly from one Guardian.

"Does Tobias understand this power that he tapped into?" The Speaker asked curiously as they watched Tobias summon a sword of Light to handily defeat Titus.

"The only thing he said is that he is certain it's the Radiant light." Shaxx replied.

"Why the interest?" Ikora asked as she glanced at the Speaker.

"It's similar to how he fought after the Collapse. Although I can confirm that it was never to this extent." The Speaker explained, causing Zavala to perk up.

"Are you saying that he's stronger now than back then?" Zavala inquired. The Speaker looked up for a moment, considering everything he knew before giving Zavala a slow nod.

"I think so." The Speaker stated.

"With this kind of power, I don't think there's anything he can't accomplish." Saladin noted as he thought of the Iron Lords during their prime. Undaunted was becoming very, very powerful. He had high hopes for them had what they could do against the Darkness. They might even be the ones to defeat it.

"And what should we call this power?" Shaxx asked as he looked around at the group. Such a fearsome power surely deserved a name.

"His, Radiant Form." The Speaker said with a nod of approval. Ikora glanced at the Speaker again before giving a nod of agreement. She could only hope that they would be seeing more of this from Tobias in the future. To defeat Oryx, they would need this power.

Cayde was uncharacteristically silent as he studied this recording. He was leaning the table with his elbow, supporting his chin with one hand. But as he watched Tobias, he raised this hand to cover his mouth to make sure none of them could see the smile developing on his face. He was concocting plan, with Tobias as the centerpiece.

* * *

The streets of Neo Chicago were barren and empty for the most part. The population of Guardians and people working for the Vanguard could barely breathe some life into the City despite the celebration they were having. With their numbers, the festivities became nothing more than a block party downtown where some of the bars were located.

The Guardians provided everything that they needed for this little celebration, drinks, meals, music. All of it was taken care of. The members of Undaunted found themselves in a large dance club where the music was blaring as dozens of Guardians were packed onto the dance floor having a good time.

Despite their being a lack of people there to provide services for the Guardians, they filled in these positions, making drinks and meals as they partied. Undaunted found themselves in a dance club where the music was blaring as dozens of Guardians were packed on the dance floor enjoying themselves.

Diana clapped her hand audibly to the final beat the song that was playing, letting out a cheerful whoop. Most of the people on the dance floor looked up at the DJ who was waiting for his partner to tell him what should be played next. During this small interval, Diana looked back at her dance partner who had been keeping up with her surprisingly well even though she had been dancing for more than an hour straight.

"You said you we're that good of a dancer back at the banquet Tobias, but you move pretty well." Diana said to him, getting a chuckle out of him.

"I just listen to the music." Tobias replied simply, shrugging his shoulders. He just moved to the beat.

"You're not tired or anything are ya?" Diana asked him, giving him a smile as the next song began.

"Of course not." Tobias replied as he took her by the hand and spun her so that they were facing the same direction now. Diana was a bit surprised with Tobias suddenly taking the lead, something he hadn't done all night, not that she was going to complain about it.

Standing on the large stairway that led down to the dance floor, Carmen eyed Diana and Tobias with raised eyebrows.

'Hmm, this might come in handy later.' Carmen noted with a devilish grin before tapping her companion on the shoulder. Gale quickly turned around at Carmen's touch, beginning to follow her as she led him to the top of the staircase to the area that Carmen had been searching for. "Finally, the bar."

The two of them approached the long counter where a pair of Guardians acting as bartenders were serving up drinks like there was no tomorrow. Fortunately the two of them found a pair of empty seats beside he counter which they quickly took before waving over one of the bartenders.

"Anything in particular?" The bartender asked her.

"No preference, but make it special though." Carmen replied with a small smile before looking at Gale. "Do you drink, anything?"

"Not that I know of. And I'd prefer if my circuitry remained dry." Gale responded with a shrug.

"Alright." Carmen said as the bartender got to work. Carmen had taken Gale under her wing since they had returned from their battle, informing the Exo of how things had changed since it had been sealed in the Seraphim Vault centuries ago. Now that Gale was the newest member of their fireteam, it meant that Carmen was no longer the 'baby' of the team. They couldn't pick on her anymore.

The bartender approached Carmen again, placing her drink down in front of her along with a stirring straw. Carmen smiled broadly as she stared at it, taking a moment to stir before lifting the glass. This would be her first drink. A sip of the good life.

"What the hell are you doing?" Someone asked suddenly, startling her. Niko stood beside her with a smirk, earning a shout from Carmen for surprising her.

"I was just having a little drink, that's all." Carmen replied before frowning at Niko who continued to smirk at her. This only seemed to irritate her as she set her drink down. "What?"

"Don't give me that Carmen, you know exactly what I'm going to say." Niko said as snatched her drink away. "You're not old enough to drink."

"Hey!" Carmen shouted, reaching out to attack Niko but he palmed her forehead to hold her back. Carmen began to swing, but her arms were way too short to reach Niko as he threw his head back, downing her drink in just a moment. Gale smiled at bit as he watched the two of them interact, it was quite amusing.

"Phew!" Niko exclaimed as he raised his eyebrows before setting down the glass. Niko then called for the bartender who approached the three of them. "She underage, don't give her anything."

"Will you stop with this crap Niko! I'm old enough to go to war with you, but you won't let me have a drink?!" Carmen asked him.

"Oh, you can have a drink." Niko said as he motioned to the counter of drinks the bartender had access to. "Just not any of that."

"You suck!" Carmen shouted at him as she turned away from him with a huff.

"Uh, are you okay Carmen?" Gale asked her tentatively after a few moments. She wasn't speaking to either them now though. This caused Niko to sigh as he rolled his eyes.

"Here, since you did so well on the mission, I'll let it slide just this once." Niko said as he placed a can on the counter for Carmen.

"Yes! You rock Niko!" Carmen exclaimed as she spun around to snatch the drink he had given her. But her happiness quickly faded as she read the contents with the can. "Cream soda!? Niko, you suck!"

Niko roared with laughter as Carmen balled her fists and began to hit his shoulder. He then looked up to spot Diana and Tobias approaching them.

"Oh man, this is awesome. I haven't had a night out like this is ages." Diana said before she came to a full stop to stare at Carmen who was beating away at Niko's arm as he laughed loudly with Gale watching on curiously.

"Should I bother asking?" Tobias asked Gale as he took a seat beside the Exo.

"I don't think so. You'd probably be saving yourself some time." Gale noted, earning a chuckle from Tobias.

"So are you having fun?" Tobias asked him, causing him to look down in thought.

"Am I supposed too?"

"Well you are the big hero here today. Without you we wouldn't have had the firepower to take out the Blight, or level their whole stinkin' fortress." Tobias said with a laugh. "So yeah, I think you should be enjoying it. All of this is happening because of you."

"Oh…okay." Gale said before he glanced at Carmen who was still struggling with Niko. A grin took shape on his face as he watched her swing at Niko. She was fun to be around, especially when compared to all the years he spent in stasis within the Seraphim Vault.

Tobias gave Gale a pat on the shoulder, glad that he was enjoying himself. But a tap on his shoulder gained his attention. Behind him stood a burly Titan.

"Zeke?" Tobias asked, getting a nod from him.

"Can I talk to you?" He asked, causing the rest of Undaunted to go silent as all of them were listening now. "In private?"

"Uh, yeah, sure." Tobias said as he rose from his seat to follow him.

The two of them went outside of the club they had been in, heading out into the streets where they walked in silence for a bit.

"I never got a chance to tell you I'm sorry Zeke." Tobias began, causing the man to become unnerved. "Your teammates were really good to me too. I'm gonna miss them."

Zeke was silent for a few moments as he studied Tobias skeptically. He wasn't sure what to think of Tobias at the moment. That man that they fought below the fortress, he looked exactly like Tobias. Why was that?

"You don't have anything to do with their deaths, do you?" Zeke asked Tobias, causing Tobias to raise his brow.

"What? How would that be possible?" Tobias exclaimed.

"I'm not really sure, I was just asking. But that thing we fought, the guy you beat." Zeke said slowly. "I knocked off his helmet before you guys got there, and I saw his face. I saw…your face."

Tobias felt a sudden chill as Zeke came to a stop, looking at Tobias directly now.

"He looked just like you." Zeke said as his hands began to tremble. "I need to know, who he is."

"I, don't know." Tobias stated.

"So, you're not him." Zeke clarified.

"No! Not in a million years, no!" Tobias said firmly. "We're not the same person. I would never turn on my allies."

"But you don't know that guy."

"The only thing I know is that his name is Titus and he works for Oryx. Besides that, I don't know anything. But I can assure you that I have no ties to him whatsoever." Tobias continue . "That's why I took him down."

Zeke stared into Tobias' eyes, searching for anything to make him doubt this statement, but his eyes were unwavering. And Zeke saw Tobias land the killing blow to Titus. Whoever this Titus was didn't matter at this point. He was dead.

 **City Perimeter**

 **Airfield**

At the perimeter of the Neo Chicago was the airfield where a majority of the ships the Guardians parked their ships while they were in the city. As the Guardians partied in the city though, a shadowy figure slipped into one of the ships and took off, leaving Earth's orbit in a matter of minutes.

Sitting in the cockpit after placing the ship on autopilot, he looked down at his chest where he could still see the whole that had been punched through his torso by the sword Tobias was wielding. The wound along with the cracks extending from it still glowed white from the Light. Placing the tip of his fingers on area of his chest the glowed, he was forced to pull away almost immediately. It burned just at the slightest touch.

Tobias' power was growing, but this wouldn't be enough.

"He can go so much farther, but right now I'm nothing compared to him right now." He said to himself. "I need more power to push Tobias past his limits."

* * *

A/N

Hey all, it's snowing! Both in real life and at the Tower for me :D. I still haven't managed to get my hands on a Y3 Icebreaker yet, but I'm still trying. And I'm also one of the those people that somehow suck at SRL, don't ask me how. Racing games have never been my forte.

In other news I have a beta reader now so much thanks for his support. We plan to work through all of my earlier chapters as well to fine tune them, so updates may be a bit slower for a while. But the coming chapters are bulky, and I hate to hold out on you guys for too long, so keep an eye out! As always, thank you for reading and I'll see you all next time.


	25. Reflections

**Chapter 25**

* * *

 **The Mulligan**

Sabrina Thornton rested in the small office that had been given to her within the Mulligan, looking around at the currently barren room. She wanted to decorate a bit before her first patient arrived, but she doubted that she would have the time. There were five files on her desk that she wanted to familiarize herself with a little more as well.

Two weeks ago she had been living in the safety of the Reef. Sabrina was in her mid-twenties and had been living on her own before they had to abandon the Last City. Without much a choice, Sabrina moved back in with her parents while they lived in the Reef, and just as she looking into living on her own once again, she found the Speaker standing outside of the front door of her parents apartment. She still couldn't believe that the man had come to speak to her personally, requesting her assistance.

She was given a few days to pack before she was suddenly on a return trip to Earth, one of the first to go back. It wasn't until she landed in Neo Chicago did anyone explain why she had been brought back.

 _"One of our best fireteams has seen a lot of action during our campaign to reclaim Earth." The big and burly Commander Zavala explained to her thoroughly. "This fireteam is accustomed to performing with high stakes, but as their commander I feel the need to have them checked on. They've been through a lot during the campaign, and I want to make sure they're still in good condition."_

Sabrina was a renowned therapist in the Last City, so it was clear why she had been brought in. And she had the seen some of the footage of what the Guardians were fighting down on Earth. Those battlefields were nothing short of pure chaos. And if this team in particular was fighting with the highest stakes, she could understand why they needed a checkup. Only four of the files in front of her belonged to fireteam Undaunted though.

The fifth and final one belonged to a man by the name of Zeke Leighton, the former leader of fireteam Salamander.

Skimming through his file, she found the report concerning the events beneath the Hive fortress. How his team was killed. How his performance in the field was rapidly declining since then. She was curious to see what this Zeke character would be like when she met him, but her focus was pulled away from his file as she heard shouts coming from the corridor outside her office.

"Let me go!" A man roared as the door to Sabrina's office was opened. A pair of large Titans stepped into her room, dragging in a Hunter that was equally as tall as them. "I don't need to talk to a damn shrink!"

"This is an order from Commander Zavala." One of the Titans stated as they threw him into the room. They gave Sabrina a short nod before stepping back out of her office, closing the door behind them.

"Ah damn." Niko grumbled as he rose from the floor, not even glancing at Sabrina who had raised a hand in attempt to get his attention, but Niko was already heading for the door again. "Such a waste of time."

Niko opened the door, ready to step out but he found both Titans standing outside the door glaring down at them. One of them held a large shotgun which he cocked as a warning for Niko.

"Commander Zavala warned us about you." One of them stated.

"You're not going anywhere." The other added with a smirk and a twinkle in his eyes.

Niko gulped audibly before he shut the door, cursing Zavala for thinking ahead. Sabrina cleared her throat, earning Niko's attention as he turned to face her.

"I can see that you're not too keen on being here, but it's only for an hour." Sabrina pointed out as she pulled up Niko's file.

Niko though had only raised his eyebrows as she spoke, studying Sabrina. She was a gorgeous brunette! Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad after all. In a moment's notice was lying back on the sofa across from her desk, ready to begin their session.

"I'm ready doc." Niko said to her with a grin, causing Sabrina to raise her brow before she readjusted her glasses and swung around her desk on her chair.

"Alright then, let's get started then." Sabrina said, a little confused by Niko's sudden one-eighty. But she didn't think much of it as they started diving into the depths of the last six months for Niko.

"The campaign? That was blast man." Niko replied with a wide grin. He loved the non-stop action. He often stayed for three or four rotations before taking a break from the front lines.

Reading through his file, Sabrina could see that Niko was no stranger to warfare. Before he was raised a Guardian, Niko was a soldier in Ancient Athens. The warfare back then was more primitive, but war nonetheless. It was clear to her that Niko lived to fight.

"Although it looks like I'm one of just a few people with that opinion." Niko noted, causing Sabrina to glance up at him now.

"How so?" She asked, causing Niko to shake his head.

"The other Guardians understand that they have to fight, but…" Niko paused for a moment as he searched for the right words. "The amount of fighting we had to do to kill off the rest of the Taken, none of them were expecting it. It just shows that not everyone who becomes a Guardian is cut out to be one."

"Can you elaborate on that for me?"

"Guardians have all sorts of backgrounds before we were reborn as Guardians. Some of us were doctors, athletes, veterans, students, anything you can think of. Most of us forget all of that, but with time you start to remember and that makes it difficult because now you're fighting your instincts to go back to a normal life." Niko explained to her, watching as Sabrina scribbled away on her notepad.

"But in your, past, life you had experience on the battlefield, so this is nothing new to you." Sabrina said, earning a nod from Niko. "And what about your teammates, how did they handle it?"

"Diana was a member of the Awoken Royal Guard, and Carmen was a student of Lord Saladin. They were trained to kill." Niko explained as he thought about the two girls who had fought brilliantly against the Taken during the campaign. "Tobias though, you can tell that he's struggling right now."

* * *

"You must be Carmen." Sabrina said as she smiled warmly at the budding young woman seated in front of her. Carmen though only frowned in response as she looked around the office.

"You should really hire a decorator for this place." Carmen stated, getting a chuckle from Sabrina. Reading Carmen's file, Sabrina couldn't believe the adventure Carmen was on. Over two decades ago she had been in the Battle of Twilight Gap but she had taken a portal to the future. What was an old thought for most of the people and Guardians was something that had taken place recently for Carmen.

"So Carmen, how are you feeling?" Sabrina asked her.

"I'm fine, like I always am." Carmen replied, receiving a nod from Sabrina.

"Are there any thoughts you want to share about the campaign?"

"The campaign was stinkin' awesome!" She exclaimed, pumping her fists. Sabrina raised her eyebrows at this. Carmen couldn't be any older than seventeen, and yet she clearly loved the battlefield.

"Hmm, Niko said the same thing." Sabrina said softly, noticing the similarities between the two Hunters. "Why do you enjoy the action so much?"

"Because it's a chance to prove myself. No one takes me seriously because I'm so young. But when the fighting is constant, there's always an opportunity." Carmen explained, and Sabrina understood.

There must have been doubts surroundings such a young Guardian, but Carmen was eager to put those doubts to rest.

"Gale and I are both pretty young, but he left me in the dust during the campaign." Carmen began as she recalled how her newest teammate became a phenom on the battlefield.

Gale was a strategist, and excellent one at that. He read the battlefield perfectly, and with his ability to tap into Rasputin's vast defense network, he could summon all sorts of weapons to tip the battles in favor of the Guardians. Gale had been promoted several times during the campaign, reaching the rank of Colonel among the Vanguard.

"I'm a little jealous of him right now, although I'd never tell him that." Carmen added with a small smile. Gale still had the voice of a young boy, but he barked orders to dozens of Guardians at a time, guiding them to victory. She wanted to be a position to do the same soon too. But first she would have to get everyone's respect.

"What exactly are you jealous of? His abilities, the opportunities he's had, care to explain?" Sabrina asked her, causing Carmen to look up in thought.

"I guess it's a combination of both. He's connected to a Warmind and obviously I'm not. He's got a crap ton of weapons at his disposal, and when its all-out warfare against the Taken, there's no better place to put them to use." Carmen explained. "But I'd say he's just had more opportunities to show everyone his value. Besides, the only person I could be jealous of ability wise is Tobias. And I think it's going to his head too."

Sabrina made a quick note of Carmen's final comment before looking up at her once again.

"So I understand that you're one of the newer members to Undaunted. Besides Gale and Tobias, is there anyone else that your experience these feelings with?" Sabrina asked her.

"All of them." Carmen mumbled, rolling her eyes. She was jealous of each and every one of them.

Gale wasn't even a Guardian yet he was flying up the ranks of the Vanguard, quickly building a strong reputation with the Guardians and those associated wit the Vanguard. Everyone was beginning to acknowledge his impressive leadership out on the field during the campaign.

Niko was one of the most skilled Hunters you could find in the system. Even though his skills as a teacher were still suspect, many still considered Niko to be the next Hunter Vanguard if Cayde were ever to relinquish the position.

Diana had just taken up the mantle as leader of Undaunted, and there wasn't a single person out there who doubted her. She had accomplished many great feats, slaying the likes of Hive Prince Crota and Skolas, Kell of the House of Wolves. She was clearly fit for the position.

And Tobias was the Vessel of the Light. His reputation may not have been as great as his teammates, but there were only a few people that understood just how powerful he really is. Only a handful of Guardians knew about what had taken place beneath the Hive Fortress a few months ago. Even less knew that Tobias had fought his way through the Hive breeding ground beneath the surface of the Moon. If Tobias' accomplishments were being put out there, he would be just as adored as the rest of the team.

Carmen knew that not everyone could enjoy good fortune. She had been displaced before she was even a Guardian, and then snatched up from her own time and brought to the future where she was now getting an opportunity to make a name for herself. The only thing she could do right now in this position was work hard, and seize every opportunity to show everyone that she wasn't some mascot for fireteam Undaunted. She was just as powerful as the rest of the them.

* * *

"And what are your thoughts on the campaign?" Sabrina asked as she stared at the teal skinned woman sitting before her. She and Diana had been speaking for a little while now, and out of the three Guardians she had met so far, Diana was the most pleasant.

"I'm glad that it's over, I was nervous and scared during the entire campaign although I'm a little nervous to see what happens from this point forward." Diana admitted.

"What are you nervous about?"

"Well, during the battle with the House of Wolves, we lost our previous fireteam leader, Iggy, or Briggs-6. Since then we've been operating without an official leader, but during the campaign Commander Zavala entrusted me to take the lead of Undaunted, full time." Diana explained.

"So how did you operate without a leader then?" Sabrina asked her.

"It's been kind of disorganized, but it was basically who ever stepped up at the time." Diana revealed as she shrugged her shoulders. Undaunted was regarded as one of the top fireteams out there. But few people understood that as a unit they were a mess more often than not. It was by sheer luck that all of their current members were still alive at this point. "As the full time leader, I was calling all of the shots during the campaign. Everyone was telling me that I was doing a good job, but I was still scared out my mind."

This statement caused Sabrina to perk up a bit as she focused on Diana intently. Even though Niko had told her that Diana had been trained for combat by the Awoken, it was evident that she didn't have the fortitude that Niko possessed.

"I didn't want anyone to get hurt or killed. And it's just a lot of pressure knowing that I'm giving orders that can mean life or death for them." Diana said quietly. "Still we made it through the campaign. The thing is that now everyone has me labeled as the leader of Undaunted."

"And you don't want that position or title?"

"I just, never imagined that I would be the leader." Diana replied. "I always thought Niko would take up the mantel, but he never did. So I don't have much of a choice at this point."

"Are you worried that you might botch a mission in the future?" Sabrina pressed, causing Diana to pause for a few moments. Then Diana gave her a nod. "There's nothing wrong with being worried Diana. It's how everyone feels when they have to take the lead."

Diana gave her a small nod, deciding to remain silent.

"So as the acting leader of the fireteam, do you care to share any of your thoughts about your team?" Sabrina said, causing Diana to look up in thought.

"What do you want to know?" Diana asked in return.

"Anything. I'm sure the campaign gave you ample opportunity to study each of them, or the group as a whole."

"Well, there's a lot of...emotion. The battles we've fought in the past, there was always periods of rest in between them. But during this campaign, we spent almost every, waking moment out on the field together. A lot of things can happen in the heat in the moment." Diana explained before taking a deep breath through her nostrils.

"For example?"

"Niko and I argued, a few times actually. We poke fun at each other a lot, but we were in each other's faces and everything." Diana explained, still surprised at the night where she blew up at Niko. "That's never happened before."

"What was the subject?"

"We were clearing out the Taken that had encamped themselves in caves out over in Old Russia. I had given the team some specific directions, but Niko acted on his own against my better judgment." Diana continued. "I won't say something like, he was being unreasonable and he never followed my orders, but he acted on his own a lot. It's difficult to lead a team when not everyone is following."

"Was he always like that, even with your former leader?"

"No! That's what I don't understand!" Diana exclaimed. "Niko would follow Iggy to the ends of the Earth. But he's giving me fits."

"In terms of raw battle experience, Niko has quite a wealth, doesn't he?"

"That's true."

"So do you think he might not be able to view you as his commander?"

Diana leaned back in her seat, letting that thought sink in. She knew that Niko had always viewed her as an equal on the battlefield. But how could it be so difficult to accept her as his commander when he turned down the position himself? Was it because he couldn't picture anyone else leading this rag-tag fireteam? Or did he want the position to remain vacant with hope that Briggs might return one day?

"That's not fair though." Diana said softly. "I was just as torn up when we lost Iggy, but I understood that we have to keep moving forward. Obviously I can't replace Iggy. He was where Undaunted began. But someone has to take the lead to make sure that his efforts weren't in vain."

Sabrina waited a few moments, studying Diana's expression as she considered sharing her thoughts with Niko. She could only hope for the best with the duties that they shouldered.

"And what about your other teammates? Is there anything you want to share about them?" Sabrina asked as she turned to a blank page for her next set of notes. Diana clicked her tongue at this.

"Niko was just a catalyst for the rest of them." Diana began. "But Carmen and Tobias were easier to reign in than Niko."

"Was there any tension between you and them?" Sabrina asked, causing Diana to shake her head.

"Carmen is younger than me, and I can tell that I have her respect. So whenever things were starting to fall apart, she wasn't shy about taking a step back if she had too."

"How would you describe your relationship with her?" Sabrina inquired, getting a bit of a laugh from Diana.

"Well being the only girl on this fireteam for years, I was hoping Carmen and I would become close. But she's basically Niko-lite. She follows him around like she's his sibling. It's kind of cute seeing them together truthfully. But I don't see our relationship going much farther than that of teammates." Diana explained to Sabrina who nodded to her, scribbling away on her notepad.

"This isn't affecting your ability to work with her, is it?"

"Oh no, not at all. If I can work with a bonehead like Niko, I can definitely handle Carmen." Diana responded with a smile. They might had been difficult at times, but no one was perfect.

"And what about your final teammate, Tobias? Is there anything you'd like to share about him?" Sabrina asked, her interest peaked since Diana took the time to consider what she was saying about Tobias.

"Hmm, Tobias, I'm worried about him." Diana revealed. She wasn't the first to say that either.

"Why's that?"

"I don't want to say that he's broken, because he's definitely not." Diana said to herself, shaking her head with pursed lips. "I think he burned himself out...is the right way to put it."

"How did you reach this conclusion?" Sabrina asked her as she tilted her head, eager to hear Diana's opinion on this subject.

"Kind of like how Niko started to act differently while we were on the front lines. Tobias did the same thing." Diana began as she looked up at Sabrina. "He started to, overextend himself."

"And by that, you mean he was trying to take over the team?" Sabrina inquired curiously.

"No no, nothing like that. I meant that he'd overextend himself on the field. He became reckless, putting himself in more danger if it meant keeping the rest of us out of those situations." Diana explained, causing Sabrina to furrow her brow. "I'm still not sure what triggered this in him, but every battle it was the same thing. You'd find him in the middle of the most chaotic area directing people out of it. Doing that over and over really takes a toll on someone, especially someone like Tobias."

"What do you mean someone like Tobias?"

"Tobias doesn't have all of his memories of his life before becoming a Guardian. But he's remembers things here and there, so I can tell he's being drawn back to his former lifestyle." Diana shared with her, causing Sabrina to perk up. "He's fighting battles out in the field, and then an internal one at the same time."

"Hmm, so he shares his memories with you?"

"Mhmm."

"I see." She noted. "So the two of you must be quite close."

"Yeah, I'd say so."

"Alright then, as his acting commander and close associate, would you say he's stable enough to continue fighting as a Guardian?" Sabrina asked her, leaving Diana baffled. She never expected a question like this. But it was certainly something that she had to take into consideration.

Tobias was more than capable of fighting as a Guardian from a physical standpoint. But mentally was a whole different question.

Diana looked down at her lap, deep in thought. She couldn't deny that Tobias was a ball of turmoil when they were fighting the Taken. His recklessness had nearly gotten him killed on so many different occasions. Was he fit to be a Guardian in this state?

 _"He was incredible Diana. First he defeated a Captain using Arc Blade. Then he rescued Ikora using Golden Gun!" Her Ghost chimed in, recounting Tobias' heroics within the Cosmodrome Wall._

 _"Did you see that?!" Tobias shouted as he turned around to point at his teammates who had been observing his duel with Skolas from a distance. "Did you see that?!"_

 _Diana felt her heart beat quicken as she looked at the well polished dress shoes Tobias wore. Gradually her gaze began to rise along with her eyebrows as she got to see Tobias decked out in a tuxedo for this event. He looked incredible as he and Niko entered the chamber where they were planning to enter the banquet hosted by Queen Mara Sov._

Diana met Sabrina gaze once again. She had her answer.

Of course Tobias could continue fighting. And he would continue even if he was decommissioned by the Vanguard.

He had been fighting for a long time after all. Diana had only seen a fraction of his struggle against the Darkness, but she had seen Tobias' highs and lows. He was more than capable of conquering this hurdle.

"He can do it." Diana stated, leaving Sabrina confused.

"What?"

"Oh, I'm sorry that doesn't answer your question." Diana said as she gave Sabrina a nod. "He'll be fine. I believe in him."

* * *

Sabrina was seated behind her desk now, her chin placed delicately on the top of her hand as she observed Tobias. He was seated on the chair his teammates had been using, wringing his hands together anxiously.

"So what did you call me here for?" Tobias asked as he looked up at her.

"This is just a quick check up Tobias. There are some people that are worried about you." Sabrina stated, earning a chuckle from Tobias.

"What are they worried about?"

"They just want make sure that you're feeling alright." Sabrina replied as they made eye contact now. His eyes were distraught as Tobias looked like he was fighting off sleep. "So, how are you feeling?"

"I'm just, tired." He replied after a pause.

"Why are you so tired though? The campaign ended almost a week ago." Sabrina noted.

"I just haven't been sleeping well, that's all."

"Is that something you want to talk about?"

"Uh…well I doubt it'll help, but I guess we have to talk about something." Tobias said with a shrug, scratching the back of his neck. "During the first half of the campaign everything was going pretty well, but I guess some of the others started getting tired. Some of them were losing focus on the battlefield, and we started losing people. It was every couple of days at first we'd lose another. Then every day…and before we knew it Guardians were dropping by the dozens."

"And this bothered you?"

"Hell yeah it did!" Tobias exclaimed, startling Sabrina since he had been quiet for the most part. "Sorry, but it just really got to me. Fireteams were falling apart, Guardians were mourning and morale was dropping. Then in my sleep, I'd only dream about what I could've done to stop all of this. I'd wake up feeling more exhausted than when I went to sleep."

"I see. So the losses were affecting you?" Sabrina clarified, receiving a nod from him. "But why? Did you know any of these Guardians personally?"

"No, I didn't. But seeing so many people mourning, the tears and anger...it just bothered me a whole lot." Tobias said as he shook his head, thinking back to the fourth month of the campaign.

 _Tobias was back in Neo Chicago, trying to rest a bit during the three days he had been given off before he would return to the front lines. These days just seemed to drag on and on for him. It was late at night and once again he couldn't rest or relax knowing that he would be going back to the battlefield soon._

 _The only thing he could do was get some fresh air and take a walk around the Mulligan in an attempt to pass some time. Moving through the courtyard, Tobias soon spotted a familiar face passing through as well._

 _"Hey Zeke." Tobias said as he waved to the Titan who gave him a nod. "I haven't seen you in a while."_

 _"I could say the same to you." Zeke commented as Tobias looked down at the bouquet of flowers he held._

 _"What are you up to?" Tobias asked as he motioned to the flowers._

 _"Oh, I was just heading out for a bit. Then I was going to have a drink." Zeke explained. "I could use a bit of company if you'd like."_

 _"That sounds great." Tobias said._

 _"I just have to take care of something real quick. I'll meet you back here." Zeke said as he continued past Tobias, heading toward the exit of the courtyard. Tobias pursed his lips for a moment as he watched Zeke go, wondering where he was headed. Tobias had yet to fully explore the Mulligan either, perhaps tailing Zeke would take him to something he hadn't seen yet._

 _Following the Titan from a distance, Tobias tracked him out to a large garden at the back of the base. It was decorated area, filled with flowers and shrubs that were trimmed to perfection. There was a stone pathway taking them to the heart of the garden where six pillars of black marble stood. They were lined up with numerous carvings on all sides of them._

 _Tobias watched as Zeke kneeled down and set down his bouquet in front of the pillar at the center of the line. Zeke remained silent with his head lowered, taking a few moments before he tapped his chest twice. Then he rose up, turning on his toes to discover that Tobias had been standing behind him._

 _"Oh…" Zeke began, but Tobias waved him off. He didn't need to explain himself._

 _"Don't worry about it." Tobias said as he approached the pillar Zeke was standing front of. "It's okay."_

 _"I don't know where they went, I just know they're in a better place." Zeke said softly as Tobias found Axel and Sheryl's spot on the small memorial. Tobias gave small nod of agreement, but his heart was racing._

 _When he visited the memorial for the Guardians back in the Tower, there was only one pillar. Now there were six! Were their losses on the front lines against the Taken this significant?_

 _Lives were being lost left and right, and he was here trying to unwind. That was…unacceptable. Tobias could feel his blood coming to a boil._

 _Why was he here when there were Guardians out there fighting for their lives?_

 _'I can protect them.' Tobias said to himself as he balled up his hands into fists. 'I can protect all of them!'_

Tobias looked up at Sabrina once again who had been silent as he shared his thoughts with her.

"I'm now starting to understand the weight of carrying the Radiant Light. I'm not just fighting the Darkness, I have to protect the Light and everything it stands for." Tobias said. "My allies may seem expendable to some people, but I can't stand losing even a single one of them! That's why I was given this power, to see to it that all of them are there the day we defeat the Darkness."

Sabrina stared at Tobias, a bit impressed with his determination, but she could already see why he was so burnt out.

"Don't you think you're being a bit selfish Tobias?"

"Selfish?" Tobias exclaimed, staring at her incredulously. "How?"

"I understand that you want to protect everyone, but you're trying to carry too much. Sometimes, you can't do everything yourself. That's why you have teammates and allies. They're here to help you." Sabrina stated, causing Tobias to shake his head.

"I'm grateful for everything they've done for me, but I value them too much to let them die. I'd rather take all of the pain myself than lose one of them." Tobias said, causing Sabrina to bite on her lower lip. Tobias was already stepping onto a lonely path, one that would surely lead to his demise if someone didn't steer him off of it.

* * *

"Are you certain that you wish to do this?" Sabrina asked the man seated in front of her. He gave her a steady nod in response.

"Yeah, I'm not a Guardian anymore. I chose to retire." Zeke stated again. He couldn't believe that he was saying it still, but it was time to change.

Zeke had been a Guardian for almost three decades. Two of those he spent working alongside Axel and Sheryl. They had been through thick and thin together, and Zeke couldn't imagine living without them. Until that part of life began…

It was harder than anything he had ever experienced. Those two had always been by his side, but now they were just memories. And fighting as a Guardian dug up those memories no matter where Zeke tried to bury them.

He couldn't be a Guardian anymore. It was just too difficult. He was distracted on the field, putting other lives at risk because of his own poor performance. It would only be a matter of time before he would be brought in before Commander Zavala to discuss this. It was for the best that he retires now.

"Could you tell me how you reached this point?" Sabrina asked him, gaining a sigh from Zeke as he shook his head.

"I'd prefer not to. This is officially my past now. The only thing I can do is look ahead and put my best foot forward." He said as he rose from his seat. "I'm sorry to have wasted you time, but there's nothing else for us to talk about, so I'm going to head out."

Sabrina frowned a bit as Zeke stepped out of her small office. Her discoveries about the Guardians continued to grow as she got to know each of the Guardians that she was supposed to meet with.

She had no idea that they could retire if they deemed themselves unfit to fight on the field. She always thought of them as machines that were trained to fight and nothing more. But they had dreams, goals, and hobbies. They experience pain; they suffer when they lose something precious. They were more than just warriors. They were real people.

Shutting the file she had for Zeke, Sabrina then looked up hearing a knock on her door.

"Come in." She called out. The door opened up, revealing someone she had yet to meet.

"Hey there!" The cloaked Exo said as he gave her a wave.

"Hi, can I help you?" Sabrina asked as he came to a stop in front of her desk.

"I'm Cayde, the Hunter Vanguard." Cayde said, introducing himself. "I heard that some of our Guardians were meeting with a psycho therapist -"

"Psychiatrist." Sabrina interjected immediately.

"Right, one of those. I thought I'd see how things were going."

"Well that's awfully considerate of you." Sabrina noted as Cayde came to as stop in front of her desk. "I'd like to meet with Tobias and Zeke a few more times if you can arrange that."

"I'll speak to Zavala about it." Cayde replied as he eyed the files on her desk. "So you met Tobias already?"

"Yes…he was, interesting." Sabrina said, thinking back to her small session with him.

"Can I see the file you have on him?" Cayde said, receiving a nod from Sabrina as she shuffled through the papers on her desk, digging up Tobias' file. "And I'd like to see the notes you took on him as well."

"There's a strict patient-doctor confidentiality that I can't break." Sabrina stated as Cayde began to scan through the file.

"I understand the rules and ethics you have as a psychiatrist, but you're under the command of the Vanguard right now." Cayde declared as he gave her a sharp stare. "There's more at stake than a lot of people could understand."

Sabrina was a bit taken aback at this, but she understood that she had forgotten her place for a few moments. Opening the draw on her desk, she pulled out the notes she had been keeping and separated he pages concerning Tobias which she passed the Hunter. Cayde began to skim the pages until his gaze came a stop on paragraph where Sabrina had quoted Tobias.

"My allies may seem expendable to some people, but I can't stand losing even a single one of them! That's why I was given this power, to see to it that all of them are there the day we defeat the Darkness."

Cayde smirked at this. Tobias was ready.

A/N

I know it's been a while everyone. Real life's just been kicking me in the pants right now on top of writer's block so it's been a struggle. But we're heading into the final portion of Taken King with this chapter so things will definitely pick up starting with the next chapter.

Can you believe we're in 2017? Time really flies. Anyway, this was probably my favorite chapter to date. I really hope you all enjoy this one and I'll see you all next update. Keep up the good work out there Guardians!


	26. The Dreadnaught

**Chapter 26**

* * *

 **Neo Chicago**

 **City Perimeter**

 **Airfield**

Tobias yawned audibly, stretching his arms above his head as he fought to stay awake. It had been another miserable night for him, just lying awake on his bed. He was hoping to get some sleep to make sure that he was at least a little rested for this important day, but he would have to make due. Hopefully all of the excitement would keep him awake.

Today was the big day. The first ship from the Reef would be arriving with people that were more than eager to return to their life on Earth. Looking around at the Guardians that stood around him, Tobias found it hard to believe that the campaign was really over. It had been nearly six months of endless fighting since they returned to Earth, but somehow they had made it to the end.

"Well looks who's early?" Someone exclaimed, causing Tobias to whirl around in search of the person. Behind him stood Diana, dressed in some causal clothing rather than her Warlock robes. All of them were off duty today for this occasion.

"Yeah, I figured why not." Tobias said with a shrug as she took the spot beside him.

"Do you think it's going to rain still?" Diana asked him.

Tobias glanced up at the cloudy skies above. The weather didn't match the occasion at all. This was one of the happiest days they've had in recent memories, and yet there was a heavy overcast. Rain was on the way to spoil this event.

"I can't control the weather so probably." Tobias replied before he suddenly felt a weight on his back.

"Carmen!" Diana exclaimed as Tobias fought to maintain his balance after she jumped onto his back.

"Mornin' guys." She said to them cheerfully as Tobias straightened up, sighing at Carmen's usual antics.

"You're full of energy this morning aren't you?" Tobias commented.

"When am I not full of energy?" She asked him in return through pursed lips. "Besides, my mom and sister told me that they'd be on this ship, so I'm pumped to see them again. Are you guys waiting for anyone?"

Diana looked up after hearing Carmen's statement. This ship was coming from the Reef, but there was no way that Petra would be on board just to come visit her. She was a servant of the Queen and Diana had made her decision already. She was walking on her own path now, one that didn't involve the Awoken. She wasn't floating between two worlds now. She was a Guardian.

Tobias looked up as well, but he didn't remain silent like Diana.

"No one special." Tobias replied softly, causing Carmen to put him in a head lock.

"Oh please, I know you're here for that chick you've been seeing." Carmen accused him.

"What are you talking about?" Tobias asked her in return once she released her hold on him.

"Like you don't know. It was that lady you saved when we were evacuating the City. We all know you've been visiting her Tobias, so don't act like you haven't been." Carmen pointed out for him.

"So what? Is there anything wrong with that?" Tobias inquired.

"So you do like her." Carmen concluded, sending a pang through Diana's chest, earning a gasp of surprise from her.

"We enjoy each other's company." Tobias retorted.

"Aww, that's adorable! And she has a kid too. It'll be like you have your own little family." Carmen said, causing Tobias to become silent. She wasn't the first person to say that.

His own little family…

 _"Wah!" Tobias exclaimed as he was suddenly awakened by a weight being dropped on his stomach. Looking around his bedroom, he discovered that it was a small boy now resting on his stomach, looking up at him gleefully._

 _"Wake up daddy, or we're going to be late!" He proclaimed to Tobias before jumping back down to the floor and dashing out the room. Tobias watched as he left, slipping past the woman who stood in the doorway. She laughed at the energy their son had this early in the morning before coming over to Tobias as he rose up from the bed._

 _"Did I miss the alarm?" Tobias asked her as she greeted him with a kiss on the forehead._

 _"No, Adrian woke up on his own." She replied as Tobias finally recalled that it was the day of his son's recital. No wonder he was so excited. "He wants to get there early, so don't keep him waiting."_

 _"I'll be ready soon." Tobias replied as she left the room. Tobias took in a deep breath as he began to stretch before looking down at the nightstand beside his bed. There was picture frame standing upright which he gently picked up. A family portrait._

 _The three of them were dressed casually, smiling brightly for the camera. A wonderful picture. Tobias felt a smile creep up on his face as he observed them. How would he be able to live without them…?_

"Hello~?" Diana said, waving her hand in front of Tobias' face. He finally responded, blinking several times before looking at her. "What happened?"

"What do you mean?" Tobias asked her.

"You went silent there for a while." Diana explained.

"I thought you went brain dead." Carmen added, causing Tobias to stick his tongue out at her.

"I just had another memory, that's all." Tobias replied.

"Oh, what was it this time?" Diana asked curiously.

"Uhh, it was nothing worth sharing." Tobias said as he shook his head.

"Aww, the rain is starting." Carmen noted having been hit by a few rain drops.

All of a sudden though, the crowd around them became hushed.

"They've entered Earth's orbit, they'll be here any minute now." Tobias' Ghost said to them as it took shape beside him.

"Oh man, they're finally here!" Carmen said happily as she threw her arms.

"That reminds me. Carmen, can you get off my back!" Tobias stated. There was a moment of silence as they all realized that she had been on Tobias' back since her arrival.

"Oh, right." Carmen said as she jumped down to stand beside them now.

Above them they heard a sonic boom, likely from the ship coming out of light speed from above. The rippling blast though created an opening through the clouds, allowing everyone to see the ship as it descended toward them. It was the same flagship that the Guardians had been on board of during their journey to the Reef.

The bulky ship eventually touched down on the airfield, and the hanger doors on the belly of the ship opened up, creating ramps that fell to the ground for the passengers to exit the ship. It was few moments before anyone actually stepped out of the ship, but the first person to come out was quickly followed by a sea of people. They all raced down the ramp, their arms raised with shouts of joy.

This was the first time in almost a year for some of them that stood on solid earth. The first time in ages that their warmth wasn't artificial. The first time in a long time that they felt like they were home.

The rain began to come down heavily, but this didn't stop the celebration as they began to embrace one another. This was their first rainfall. They were delighted to have it. And overhead, the sun began to peel through the opening in the clouds created by the flagship. It was a golden ray of sunshine, beating down on all of them as they looked up, praising the Guardians for their efforts. They were finally back home!

* * *

Tobias was seated in a small bar, a drink in front of him on the table as he looked at the small band that was playing on the stage in the back.

It had been a few days since the arrival of mankind in Neo Chicago, and things were finally beginning to slow down. It was a fresh start for everyone that came. They had the freedom to choose exactly what they wanted to do. Jobs were filled instantly, the empty homes that had been built were occupied with a snap of the fingers, life on Earth seemed to continue from where it left off. Crime was nonexistent at the moment. Peace was abundant. Everyone was happy.

But there was still one pressing matter that was still present.

"I'm sure you know why I called you here."

Tobias glanced at the man seated across from him, the Hunter Vanguard, Cayde-6.

"I'm sure it has something to do with Oryx." Tobias replied, getting nod from Cayde as he leaned forward, placing is elbows on the table.

"We're going to have to board the Dreadnaught sooner or later. As long as Oryx is in our system, he can always come back." Cayde said. "We worked damn hard to get back here, but Oryx can come through again and take all of this away."

Tobias took a deep breath as he looked around the other customers at the bar who were happily chatting with one another.

"All of this, will just be a dream for these people." Cayde stated as he motioned their surroundings. "Unless we kill Oryx."

"So you're saying that we're going after him next?" Tobias asked as he gave Cayde a narrow glance.

"We have no choice. Unless you want to give up everything you spent the last year working for." Cayde declare, getting sigh from Tobias. The Guardians had fought for months on end, lost so many comrades reclaiming Earth. They couldn't afford to give it up to Oryx again.

"Has the Vanguard been working on a plan then?"

"I've been working on something for a while now, but there are a few…obstacles."

"Obstacles, like what?"

Cayde called out his Ghost who then began to project a recording of the Dreadnaught as it came under attack at Saturn's rings.

"A sizable Cabal Legion entered our system while we were fighting the Taken here. They engaged the Dreadnaught but…" Cayde trailed off as the recording continued. Tobias saw dozens of enormous Cabal vessels surrounding the Dreadnaught, but as they're forces began to batter away at the Dreadnaught and its Tombships, the Oryx's flagship began to glow as the massive crater on its side became lit in white flames.

A shockwave began to travel out from the ship, destroying everything that surrounded it. The asteroids of Saturn's rings, the Cabal vessels, even its own allies. Everything was completely wiped out, leaving a gap in Saturn's ring.

"Are you kidding me?" Tobias muttered in disbelief.

"That blast covered several miles. If we were to try to board the Dreadnaught, I imagine our fate would be the same." Cayde explained, eyeing Tobias to see his reaction.

"Wait a second; you all are seriously planning to board the Dreadnaught even though that could happen?" Tobias whispered harshly.

"We have to Tobias." Cayde stated. "According to the Awoken this is now the third time Oryx has visited us. We can't keep running…that's just prolonging our extinction. We have to take our stand right now, and take the fight to Oryx."

Tobias had feeling Cayde would say something like this as soon as they started speaking about Oryx. Even though they had managed to remove the Taken forces from Earth, Oryx and his armies were still a presence in their system. One that they could _not_ ignore. Tobais sighed deeply as he stared at Cayde, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"So what's the plan then? Obviously you have something if you came to me directly." Tobias said, earning a smirk from Cayde.

"I see my reputation precedes me." Cayde commented before he turned his attention to the image of the Dreadnaught. "Since awakening, Rasputin has been on the offensive all over the system, but he has yet to launch an attack on the Dreadnaught. Rasputin has spared no expense attacking the Cabal on Mars as well as the Fallen and Hive on the Moon and Earth. If you ask me that says something."

"He hasn't found a way to damage the Dreadnaught yet?"

"If the Cabal couldn't find a way, there might not be a way to destroy thing from the outside." Cayde noted as he glanced at Tobias.

"Outside…" Tobias said softly. "So then we have to find a way in."

"Yup. We have to get someone on the inside to go in and knock out the super weapon on that ship. Once we have clearance that its down, the Guardians will start boarding in bunches to clean out the ship." Cayde explained.

"And what about Oryx?" Tobias asked. Cayde only pointed at him.

"Remember that Guardian who knocked out the super weapon? He's going to be the one to draw out Oryx and kill him."

"And by him…you mean me?"

"I couldn't have said it better myself." Cayde said with a grin.

Tobias took in a deep breath. He knew that Cayde was crazy, but this plan of his was beyond anything he could expect from the Hunter Vanguard. A solo mission into the heart of the Taken stronghold to not only disarm its weapons, but kill the leader?! No one in their right mind would accept such a mission!

And yet, Tobias could see a majority of the Guardians valiantly boarding the Dreadnaught, fighting in the face of certain death to kill Oryx. They had worked so hard to just to reclaim Earth, lost so many friends and allies. He didn't want them to suffer anymore. He would take things over from here.

"I'll do it." Tobias stated sternly, meeting Cayde's gaze with his own. Cayde smiled inwardly, pleased to see that Tobias had the resolve that he was looking for.

"Excellent. When you're ready to go, there's a ship waiting for you underneath the airfield. Contact me when you're ready to go." Cayde said, getting nod from Tobias.

 **Airfield**

It would be two days before Tobias would give Cayde a call stating that he was ready to proceed with the mission. Tobias spent a majority of that time alone, resting in his small room within the Mulligan. Diana had dropped by to check on him since the rest of the team was heading out to complete a few bounties for the Vanguard, but Tobias turned down the offer to join them.

There was too much on his mind for him to go anywhere other than the Dreadnaught. He could already tell that it would be like he was entering a new world, one ruled by the Hive and Taken. Tobias had seen a lot in the small time he had spent with Undaunted but he was certain that the Dreadnaught would be unlike anything else.

"Did you bring everything you want to take with you? Once you get to the Dreadnaught, there's no turning back." Cayde said to him as the two of them looked up at the ship Tobias was preparing to board.

"Yeah…" Tobias said slowly as he stared at the ship. There were skulls on it, and parts of it were had an eerie green glow. "Uh, whose ship is this?"

"You don't need to know." Cayde replied quickly as his Ghost opened the ramp on the bottom of the ship, giving them entry. "Just focus on getting into whatever little zone you need to be in to kill Oryx."

Tobias gulped after hearing the reminder that this was his mission. For whatever reason, the thought of killing Oryx just didn't make sense. Like it was impossible. Taking a deep breath, Tobias could tell why he was having these thoughts. It was the same reason his skin was raised at the moment. He was afraid.

Glimpses of the Collapse flashed through his head, the buildings that lay in ruins, bodies scattered about, and the survivors crying out over those that were lost. Oryx was responsible for all of that. Tobias couldn't let him harm anyone else. There were people both on Earth and in the Reef that Oryx threatened once again, but not for long.

Arriving at the cockpit, Tobias dropped down onto the only seat within this small room and spun around to look at Cayde who stood in the entryway.

"I made a few modifications to this ship, equipped it with a stealth drive to help you board the Dreadnaught unnoticed." Cayde explained to Tobias. "This ship smells like Hive too, so you should be fine."

"Smells like Hive? Whose ship is this?" Tobias asked him again but Cayde waved his question off.

"I'm not one for fancy speeches, so be careful out there." Cayde said to him. Tobias raised an eyebrow at this before Cayde gave him a two fingered salute as he left. Tobias exhaled once again as he spun back around to look at the controls of this ship.

"Well, this is it." Tobias said softly to himself.

"Are you certain that you want to do something like this?" His Ghost asked him as it took shape. "You're not only going into the Hive territory, but into the heart of their kingdom."

"Yeah, I've already come to terms with that." Tobias replied as he strapped himself in. The ship roared to life once Cayde had exited and the main chamber was sealed. Then it began to rise before darting up into the dark skies above.

"The trip to Saturn will take roughly and hour give or take." His Ghost informed him as it looked out the windshield as the clouds raced by. Studying the small floating bot for a moment, Tobias leaned back into his seat.

"Are you scared?" Tobias asked his Ghost. It didn't even turn to look at him.

"About?" His Ghost asked in return.

"Well we've lost a good number of people since we started fighting the Taken. And now the two of us are headed into their kingdom. We could die." Tobias explained, causing his small partner to sigh.

"Of course I'm scared. On every mission, whenever we're in danger I'm worried…because I don't have a way to bring you back." Ghost admitted, leaving Tobias at a loss for words. It never occurred to him that his Ghost cared for him so deeply.

The two of them lacked what tethered most Ghosts to their Guardians. The ability to reanimate their Guardian if they were lost in battle. That connection between Ghost and Guardian made them closer than anyone could understand. But even without it, Tobias and his Ghost were still growing closer.

"What, you thought I didn't worry about you?" His Ghost asked him. It was looking at him now.

"Uh, well I…" Tobias began.

"Thought so." His Ghost concluded as it spun away from him once again. "Putting that aside though, I do worry. Like I'm some kind of mother…I'm a guy Ghost though, just so you know."

"Wait, there are lady Ghosts too?"

"That's beside the point!"

"Answer my question!"

"Yes! There are female Ghosts!"

"So then, do you guys go on dates and stuff when you're not with us?" Tobias asked now as his mind began to wander.

"Great, you ruined the moment!" His Ghost hollered as it vanished, earning a laugh from Tobias. He was at ease, at least for a little while. But pretty soon he would be staring down into a great pit.

 **Saturn**

 **Dreadnaught**

You know that feeling in the pit of your stomach, when you've done something stupid and now it caught up to you? Tobias was feeling that in full force at the moment.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Tobias asked himself softly.

"Don't ask me, I didn't agree to this mission." His Ghost replied as the two of their ship maneuvered through the asteroids that filled Saturn's rings.

But mixed into this mess was the debris of the Cabal space crafts that had been handily defeated by the Dreadnaught. Hunks of metal plating floated by aimless, and occasionally they could see the body of a Cabal Legionary pass by as well. It was like one massive graveyard surrounding the Dreadnaught.

"Well, I think it's safe to say if I had pants, I'd definitely need to change them." His Ghost noted, getting a snort from Tobias. "Hold on, what's that?"

Along the side of the Dreadnaught, close to the site of its super weapon, a Cabal vessel could be seen protruding from the Dreadnaught.

"Wait a second, did they crash one of their ships into the Dreadnaught?" Tobias exclaimed incredulously. "I thought all of them were annihilated in the blast."

"Based the on the size of that ship, I think it's safe to assume that the flagship of this Cabal Legion. It looks like they're willing to go to any length if it gives them even the slightest chance of defeating Oryx." Ghost pointed out, sending a chill down Tobias' spine.

The scene on the Dreadnaught was quickly changing. Tobias was no longer trying to infiltrate their kingdom. Now their world had been turned into a battleground by the Cabal.

"I'm activating the stealth drive. Get ready to board the Dreadnaught Tobias." His Ghost declared as the ship began to hum loudly. Their ship flew behind a large piece of scrap metal, becoming invisible as it passed out from behind that bit of cover, beginning to advance toward the Dreadnaught. "So far so good."

 **Alter of Oryx**

Oryx drew in a deep breath, expanding his wings for but a moment before drawing them back in. This was the first time another species had managed to board the Dreadnaught, although it was through desperate means. But he paid no mind to the Cabal. Soon enough they would be squashed out by his forces.

His real interest was in the small glint of Light that was approaching the Dreadnaught. Tobias had arrived.

Everything was going according to plan.

 **The Founts**

Titus stood over the corpse of a Taken war beast, his hand outstretched toward it as he drew out what power remained in the body. The black aura that was radiating from the carcass was being drawn into Titus, joining the aura that surrounded him.

Soon enough though, he drained this beast completely and clicked his tongue.

'That's it? For someone regarded as the Taken Prince, I was expecting a lot more.' Titus said to himself as he turned away from the remains of his opponent. 'But I suppose this will have to do as far as preparations go.'

Suddenly the ship began to quake causing Titus to look up with curiosity. He could hear the super weapon of the Dreadnaught cycling down, likely from the efforts of the Cabal invaders that crashed into the Dreadnaught. Titus had observed the Cabal as they began to use their ship as a beachhead within the Dreadnaught, impressed that they fought so valiantly within Oryx's kingdom. But for them to successfully disable the super weapon of the Dreadnaught was no small matter. The Dreadnaught was vulnerable for the first since its creation. It wouldn't be long before Oryx would come out from the Rupture to deal with them.

'Wait!' Titus exclaimed as he whirled around, sensing a familiar presence. A strong one. "Tobias is here."

Shutting his eyes for a moment, Titus began using his sensory abilities to get a read on Tobias' location, but he quickly discovered that Tobias had come alone. There wasn't a single ray of Light near Saturn besides Tobias. Why was he alone?

"It was just as Oryx said. He would come by himself." Titus whispered to himself. That was why Oryx was ignoring the Cabal. He was opening the way for Tobias to come directly to him. And that would mean that Oryx intends to come fight him on the Dreadnaught. 'This is my chance then.'

 **Trenchway**

Tobias peered over the jagged platform he stood on, looking down into the deep abyss that led to who knows where. Across this massive gorge was another platform leading into a tunnel that would take him further into the Dreadnaught.

His landing was surprisingly smooth. No conflicts, there wasn't even any enemies patrolling the area where they had landed. So far everything was going well.

"Any luck with a map of this place?" Tobias asked his Ghost who had been furiously scanning the Dreadnaught since they had landed on it, but all of this was futile.

"No, I can't seem to get a bearing on anything beyond our current location. We're going in blind." His Ghost replied causing Tobias to shiver. They had no clue where to go to find Oryx, and for the first time in months, Tobias was cold.

'We're so far from the Traveler now. I can barely feel its Light here.' Tobias said to himself as he looked around once more at his surroundings. He then shook his head and punched his palm.

The odds were always stacked against hem, no matter who the opponent was. This time was no different, and Tobias would do what he and Undaunted had always done before. He would press forward!

"Come on, let's get moving." Tobias said as he motioned for his Ghost to follow him as he began to move along the platform in search of anything that would help them cross pit beneath them. Near the end of the platform, a small spark of light flickered to life.

"What is that?" Ghost asked as Tobias approached the small spark of light. As he got within arm length of it, Tobias reached out to touch it, but the light darted away from him. It jumped out over the gorge, seeming to bounce onto something solid before a floating platform took shape. The light continued out, bouncing from one platform to the next, creating a pathway for Tobias and his Ghost was both stared in shock.

"Are they solid?" Tobias asked curiously as the light reached the other side of the pit where it stopped as if to wait for him.

"Yes, they are. I've never seen anything like them. They react to anything approaching them, almost like…they're alive." His Ghost commented as Tobias leapt out onto the closest of the floating platforms, beginning his journey across the pit. Soon enough Tobias had crossed as well, following the light into the tunnel that he had spotted from the other side.

Tobias was amazed by the network of tunnels that he began to venture through with not an enemy in sight. The light had vanished as he began moving through the tunnels, but it wasn't long before he ran into again. And he could tell that this was likely the end of the tunnels as well. The light was waiting for him by a small breach in the wall where Tobias finally got at his first look at what was truly inside the Dreadnaught.

The necropolis he had seen beneath the surface of the Moon, and the fortress that the Hive had built where the Last City once stood paled in comparison to the inside of the Dreadnaught. This Dreadnaught, it wasn't like the first two locations. The Hive had transformed those worlds. But the Dreadnaught felt like the world that gave birth to the Hive.

Tobias licked his lips as he looked down into the deep gorge beneath him. There were lower levels that he could drop down to, although the fall was quite a long one. And then he looked up to see that this area continued upward as well. But just on the level he stood on, there were numerous areas that were like islands hovering over the pit, spanning quite a distance. It was truly massive in here.

"Can you feel that Tobias?" His Ghost asked him, receiving a nod.

"At the middle of the room right, that spot over there." Tobias said as he pointed to a large platform that hovered at the center of the room. It was circular, as if it was some sort of arena. "The Darkness is flowing from there. That must be where Oryx is."

The light that was floating beside them seemed to respond to the name 'Oryx' before it jumped out over the pit, once again lighting up the invisible platforms for Tobias to cross as well.

"I'm beginning to think that-that thing is trying to help us." Tobias pointed out to his Ghost as chased after it.

"It may very well be. But stay on guard." His Ghost warned him.

"Right." Tobias said as he arrived at one of the islands and looked into the tunnel that the light had gone into.

Above them they could hear an explosion go off, causing both Tobias and his Ghost to look up.

"What's going on?" Tobias asked as his Ghost briefly scanned the area.

"There's a heavy Cabal and Hive presence above us. It's centered around one of the matrixes that fuel the super weapon for the Dreadnaught." His Ghost explained. "That's probably why they didn't fire on us, the Cabal must have disabled the weapon!"

"I haven't fought the Cabal before, but I guess I owe them one for this." Tobias noted as he drew his Tlaloc from his back, checking the magazine to ensure that it was locked and loaded.

"We don't need to engage them. They're locked in combat on one of the higher floors. Our objective is on this one." His Ghost pointed out before it vanished once again.

"Here we go." Tobias said as he dashed forward, pursuing the light into a large and empty chamber. There was nothing of note here, allowing Tobias to cross the room with ease to the light that was waiting for him at the exit. Coming out of this chamber, Tobias noticed that he was much closer to the arena at the center of the area now. In fact, he was about to cross onto the island that was connected directly to it. If Oryx was really there, then the fight of his life was about to take place.

Proceeding up a small pathway that was connected to the main island, Tobias traveled through a short tunnel before he found himself in yet another chamber, but this one had a pathway traveling down the center of it, leading into a grand corridor that went out into the arena. Tobias didn't waste a moment as he went into the corridor, joining the light that slowly advanced alongside him. But as he approached the entrance to the arena, the light faded away, leaving Tobias by himself.

"Are you ready Tobias?" His Ghost asked him.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Tobias replied as he tightened his grip on his weapon. He stood at the end of the corridor, looking up at what appeared to be a wall of glass. He could see straight through it, and when he attempted to touch it, his hand went right through. It was probably a door bell to tell Oryx he was here.

Upon stepping through the glass, Tobias jumped down into the arena and he immediately wrapped his arms around himself. The temperature seemed to drop even further, just in this one space. It was like this one spot was its own separate world.

"Up there Tobias." His Ghost pointed out as he looked up at the small raised area at the opposite side of the arena. There were a pair of jagged pillars that stood ominously, but then a gong rang resounded through the area before the pillars lit up. A green vortex opened up between the pillars, acting as a doorway for the Taken King to step through.

Tobias' eyes widen as he stared at the monstrous being that stood before him. Oryx threw his head back and stretched his wings, giving out a deafening roar that shook the arena they stood on.

" **AT LAST, I WILL HAVE VENGEANCE!** " He roared with unadulterated hatred as he raised one hand, summoning the massive cleaver he used in battle.

"Well Tobias, it looks like this is it. I hope you're ready." Ghost said to him.

"I've been waiting for this for a long time." Tobias replied before taking a deep breath. This was it.

Oryx aimed his free hand toward Tobias, unleashing a volley of energy blasts at him. Tobias became evasive in response, recalling all of the training he had done with Niko. Even though Oryx's attacks were dangerous, it was as if they were moving in slow motion to Tobias. Dodging these wouldn't be a problem. Oryx kept up his assault on Tobias for a few moments, but he quickly acknowledged that this battle wouldn't progress if things remained like this.

"Tobias, above you!" His Ghost called out. Tobias looked up to see a black and white whirlpool above him with the funnel extending toward its target, him. Tobias dove to his left just before the tip of the funnel could make contact with him, but when it touched the floor it released a shockwave that caught Tobias while he was still in midair. He was sent tumbling away on his side where he came to a stop with a groan from the unexpected hit. But this was just the beginning.

Oryx raised his free hand once again and bombarded Tobias with energy blasts the exploded on contact, surrounding him in a thick cloud of smoke. Oryx lowered his hand, slightly displeased that Tobias had been defeated so easily. But as the smoke cleared away, he saw a purple dome surrounding the Guardian within it.

"You think that's enough to beat me?!" Tobias shouted, but he was quickly silenced when Oryx jumped into the air, raising his cleaver above his head.

"Tobias, you might want to move." His Ghost said as Tobias went scrambling out of his Ward of Dawn. Oryx dropped his sword down onto Tobias' shield, shattering the Ward of Dawn with just one blow, leaving both the Guardian and his Ghost in total shock.

They had survived a blast from a particle cannon using their Ward of Dawn, and yet Oryx destroyed this shield with just one attack. This battle was going to be far tougher than they had originally planned.

Oryx straightened up, yanking his cleaver out of the fissure it had created after hitting the ground. He then turned toward Tobias, giving him a dark stare.

"Your Light, will die here." Oryx declared to him, raising his cleaver once again.

"Tobias, here he comes!" His Ghost hollered as Oryx approached once again. Oryx attacked with his cleaver once again, dropping the massive blade down onto him, but he found that Tobias stood right next to where his weapon had landed. He had barely moved a foot to avoid being hit. Lifting his cleaver once again, Oryx chopped down at Tobias a second time, but the result was the same. Tobias' speed had increased, just like the last time they fought.

The longer their battle went on for, the stronger Tobias became last time. But Oryx wouldn't allow that as second time. Leaping back onto the raised area where his portal stood, Oryx raised his hand above his head, causing multiple black spheres to form all over the arena, allowing the Taken to begin spawning here.

"Of course he'd call in back up. No one ever wants to go one on one." Ghost noted as Tobias looked around the number of enemies that surrounded him.

"This is just more fun for me." Tobias replied as he quickly gunned down a squad of Taken to his left using the Tlaloc, impressed by how well he could handle the weapon.

"Heads up, Oryx is preparing something!" His Ghost informed as it kept a close eye on Oryx. He wasn't even observing Tobias as he fought his minions. Rather he had both his hands raised above his head with a black aura swirling around it.

"I'm almost done with these guys." Tobias said as slapped a new magazine into the Tlaloc before mowing down the final group of Taken. He then directed his attention toward Oryx who was standing completely still for him. "Ghost, I need a rocket launcher."

As Tobias dropped down to one knee, the large weapon materialized on his shoulder, loaded and ready to be fired.

"Let's see what you think of this Oryx." Tobias said as he pulled the trigger not once, but twice, firing two shells at Oryx who paid him no mind. As the rockets approached their target though, Oryx's cleaver suddenly came spinning through, slicing both projectiles before they could hit Oryx. "Dang."

Both of the rockets exploded in midair, leaving two clouds of black smoke in front of Oryx who had completed his preparation. He lowered both of his hands suddenly, unleashing a distorted wave that traveled out in every direction, covering the arena entirely. Tobias had nowhere to go as it approached. All he could do was hunch over, cross his arms in front of his chest and brace himself.

As the wave passed over him, Tobias was robbed of all of the air within him, like someone had snatched it straight out of his lungs. His entire body, to the very bone became freezing cold.

"The Light of your Traveler won't reach you out here." Oryx stated as he slowly approached Tobias.

'Tobias!' His Ghost called out from within him. 'What's wrong?'

'He's…' Tobias choked on his words, struggling to breathe still. 'My Light, he's draining it!'

'Can you move?' His Ghost inquired as they stared at Oryx who quietly hovered toward them. But Tobias was silent now as he rested on his knees. 'Tobias!?'

He was becoming light headed now. There was no oxygen traveling through his body, and with every moment he grew colder. Why couldn't he breathe?!

 _'The Light of your Traveler won't reach you out here.'_

No, that couldn't be true! The Traveler had sacrificed everything for him to carry its power. There was no way he could fail standing before the being that tried to kill the Light. Oryx stood over Tobias now, raising his cleaver once again with the intent of finishing Tobias with just one blow.

'I need…to breathe!' Tobias screamed to himself as he inhaled deeply. He could feel it deep within him. Traveling through all of his veins. The Light. Warmth spread throughout his entire body once again, empowering him despite his surroundings.

Oryx dropped down his weapon onto Tobias, but rather than feeling it hit the ground, Oryx felt his arms begin to tingle since his cleaver had hit something very hard. Beneath Oryx's weapon, Tobias had both his forearms above his head to block this attack, surprising him. Lifting his weapon and taking a few steps back from Tobias, Oryx was shocked to see his entire body become white, almost blinding him.

'Just like back on Earth.' Ghost noted as he studied Tobias and the overwhelming amount of Light that was emanating from him.

Concealed at the very edge of the arena was Titus who had been observing the battle between Tobias and Oryx. And it was just like he had predicted. Tobias would use this new form to combat Oryx, and Titus was certain that Oryx wouldn't be able to handle it. This would be his opportunity, while Oryx's attention was entirely on Tobias.

 **The High War**

 **Golgoroth's Cellar**

The mighty beast standing before Titus gave one pained screech before it collapsed to the floor, causing the room to shake. Golgoroth was nothing more than a pet to Oryx, a protector. And Titus could tell that it had sensed his intentions when it opposed him. He was taken aback at first, but the fearsome beast would serve as a final tune up for what lies ahead of him.

But before that, he still had something to collect from this room. Approaching the large stone pillar that stood at the center of the room, Titus looked up at the markings that had been engraved on the stone. Placing one hand on the column, the markings began to light up, being peeled off the stone before they descended down to Titus.

Watching as they began to circle around him, Titus remained calm as they gradually tightened up around him. Without a sound these markings gathered into the hand he had placed on the column, allowing him to take a step back now that the process was complete.

"This is the Essence of the Feast?" Titus noted, checking to see if anything had changed about him. But he was just fine. With a shrug, he began to move now, venturing into the next area of Oryx's Ascendant Realm.

Looking down at the gray blade he had strapped to his waist, Titus had already finished his first objective. Claiming the Blade of Famine from the Warpriest, Oryx's gatekeeper. He had caught the Warpriest off guard, killing it almost immediately to ensure that there was no conflict. And now having defeated Golgoroth, he had collected the Essence of the Feast of well. But having killed off two of Oryx's closest subordinates, his next opponents were likely aware of his presence on the High War.

The Daughters of Oryx.

But he didn't have any options if he was going to fight Tobias in the future. Unlocking the Radiant Light put a massive gap in power between the two of them. This was the only way Titus could close the gap between them.

 _"Your only purpose is to test Tobias."_

Titus looked around in search of this voice he had heard. It wasn't the first time he had heard it, this mechanical, yet female voice. But he couldn't think of the person it belonged to.

He was certain that this voice wasn't related to Oryx. The Taken King had tasked him with destroying the Light, and Tobias. Testing Tobias couldn't have been an order from Oryx…so who?

Soon enough, Titus' journey led him into a room where had to scale the walls to make it to the next level where the entryway to the Oryx's throne room awaited him. Stepping through the large archway, Titus stepped out into the massive and open room where he could see Saturn looming over them with the sun far out in the distance. The light of that start could still reach them here, but the Light of the Traveler was nowhere to be found. There were two large platforms, one on each side of the room, and floating above them were the last of Oryx's children.

Ir Anuk, and Ir Halak. Both of their heads snapped to the side to look at him, and upon recognizing him, the white shield that protected them faded away.

"Our father created you, yet you act on your own. Why is that?" Ir Halak demanded as the two of them lowered themselves down to the ground level of the throne room. But despite coming down to the same level as Titus, they both loomed over him as giants.

 _"You must push him past his limits, no matter the costs."_

"Yes, he created me, but I'm no longer a servant of your father." Titus stated simply.

"Killing both the Warpriest and Golgoroth…now you oppose our father?" Ir Anuk asked him, causing Titus to shake his head.

"No. Take a look at the battle between Oryx and Tobias." Titus said as he raised his hand, projecting to them the battle between their father and Tobias on the Dreadnaught. To their surprise, a single Guardian was fighting their father to a standstill…no, he was actually winning against the Taken King.

"How can this be?" Ir Anuk exclaimed.

"Just one being of the Light is enough to slay our father?" Ir Halak added.

"This one is special as I'm sure your father must have told you. But he doesn't understand the power that this Guardian possesses. Your father aims to bring him into the High War and weaken him by fighting his underlings, but I've felt this power. Even without knowing it, Tobias would have only grown stronger had he fought Oryx's peons." Titus explained to them. And he couldn't allow that. The last thing he needed was for the gap to widen between them.

"Sister, perhaps this one will be of use to us." Ir Anuk noted, impressed that Titus had discerned that Tobias' would only grow stronger.

"Of use to you?" Titus repeated as he looked at both of them, one eyebrow raised.

"We no longer seek to expand our father's realm. Rather, we want to construct our own." Ir Halak explained to him. "In order to start though, our father must be dead."

"So you want Tobias to kill him?" Titus inquired, clearly confused now.

"Not just that one. We want the Children of the Light to grow stronger. If they defeat our father, we can take that power they gain, and use that for ourselves." Ir Halak continued. "Just as our father aims, we want to capture this special one to draw out the rest of them. And when they arrive, we will provide them with the way to kill our father."

Titus felt a smirk growing on his face at how twisted this was becoming. Oryx's own children were plotting against him at this crucial time.

Their attention was drawn to the projection showing Oryx and Tobias as they clashed. Oryx gave a roar of pain before dropping down to his knees, clearly suffering from the excessive amount of damage he had received from fighting Tobias. It was evident by Oryx's expression that Tobias had grown far stronger than he had anticipated, but his solution to defeating Tobias had already been prepared. Raising one hand above his head, it became consumed in a dark aura which he then pieced his chest with.

Oryx cackled, giving Tobias one last glance as the dark aura that penetrated his chest began to eat away at his body from the inside out. Soon enough the Taken King disappeared completely, leaving Tobias by himself in the Court. But the portal that Oryx had used during his entrance opened up once again, providing Tobias with access to the High War.

"Father will be here soon." Ir Anuk noted as the two of the returned to their platforms. Oryx was returning to his throne, and Tobias was pursuing, so it wouldn't be long before either of them arrived. Walking along the pathway down the center of the room, Titus looked up at the massive gas giant otherwise known as the planet Saturn as it hung in space.

All of them had the same plan of drawing the Guardians in the High War using Tobias as bait. But the outcomes each of them for saw were different. Oryx was seeking to extinguish the Light. His Daughters were planning to build their own domain. And Titus was in the midst of creating a means to even the playing field between himself and Tobias.

Titus was certain that nothing short of pandemonium was going to take place within the High War soon enough.

 **Threshold**

Tobias had wrapped himself in his arms, trying to create the slightest bit of warmth he could for himself. Since stepping through that portal to pursue Oryx, it had only grown colder. His hands were numb, his teeth were chattering and he couldn't shake off the shivers he had. Tobias understood that he was far from the sun, but the frigidness of the Dreadnaught was different from just being cold. It was smothering him to his very bone.

 _'The Light of your Traveler won't reach you out here.'_

Tobias could remember when Diana had first taken him to the Traveler. He could remember the warmth that embraced him. The warmth that had all but vanished since he boarded the Dreadnaught. The Light was being choked way out here. Neither his Ghost nor the Traveler had spoken to him since entering Oryx's Ascendant Realm. His guide had been the same spark of light that had guided him through the depths to the Dreadnaught to fight Oryx the first time.

The journey up until this point had been long and silent as Tobias crossed dead space using Hive Tombships, passed through an enormous gateway, wadded through the depths of a deep cellar and scaled great heights to reach the Threshold. This had given him ample time to think about what he was going to face as he pursued Oryx. To his surprise, there wasn't a single enemy that opposed him as he traveled through Oryx's realm, leaving him to assume that this was likely going to be their final showdown.

When they had fought back on the Dreadnaught, Tobias had gained the upper hand once he summoned the full Light of the Traveler, something he still wasn't capable of triggering on his own. It seemed more like a defense mechanism in him, recognizing when the Light was truly in danger. But that was beside the point because with that power he managed to overpower Oryx quite handily. All he would have to do this time was make sure that he landed the killing blow. He wouldn't let Oryx escape again.

The entryway to the Threshold responded to Tobias approaching it. The doors split apart, almost beckoning for him to enter the heart of the High War. Taking just one step in though, Tobias felt the temperature drop even further. This single room was far colder than any other place he had ever been to. Even though his heart was racing, his sweat was cold. Tobias shook himself a bit, mustering up the strength to try and ignore the chilliness while he took a hold of his Tlaloc.

There was finally some opposition. It may not have been Oryx, but Tobias was ready to fight anyone. There were two celestial beings, each of them hovering over one of the tall platforms at the center of the room. Both of them turned to look at him as he entered the room, but Tobias' attention was drawn to the dark aura that began to take shape in between the two platforms. Trails of black smoke began to circle around a single point on the floor before a ray of darkness dropped down at the center of the room, taking on the form of a man.

Tobias watched as the darkness quickly gained its features, resembling the opponent whom he had fought beneath the Hive fortress on Earth. Titus.

"I'm ba~ck." He said, allowing his face helmet to recede into his head, showing his face to Tobias who was at a loss for words. "You thought you got me last time didn't you?"

Tobias couldn't respond. He was absolutely positive that he had killed him back on Earth. He didn't hold back even an ounce of his strength when he pierced Titus with his sword, yet the man still stood before him now. All he could do was ready his weapon, taking aim at Titus.

"No response. Well I just give you a newsflash then. I don't die easy." He declared, his helmet closing up around his face once again. He then sprung forward, dashing toward Tobias as he raised one hand, morphing it into a saber like the last time. Tobias lowered his weapon, already acknowledging that it wouldn't be of any use against Titus. Drawing his tanto from the sheath strapped to his waist, Tobias began to channel Arc Light through himself and into the weapon, but the electricity sparked and sputtered before fading away immediately.

'What?!' Tobias exclaimed before focusing on Titus who was closing the distance between them quickly. Without on any options, Tobias Blinked, landing on one of the four lower platforms around the room. This didn't deter Titus though as he ran straight to the far wall of the room and bounded off of it, launching himself at Tobias who didn't even have a chance to recover.

Tobias gave a shout of pain Titus tackled him, sending him sailing into the side of the taller platform. Crashing into the platform, Tobias grunted before he fell to the floor below, managing to reorient himself so that he landed on his feet. Titus was already attacking again though, his saber raised as he aimed to chop Tobias in two. Blocking this with his tanto, Tobias felt his entire body tingle from the impact as Titus jumped away from him. Clearly his counterpart had grown stronger since their last encounter.

"You're weaker than last time." Titus stated suddenly as he pointed his weapon at Tobias.

"Weaker?" Tobias repeated.

Titus could feel it. Tobias always exerted a force that put pressure on everything around him. He had felt it first hand on Earth. But now that force was nonexistent. Tobias' strength was waning. And Titus finally understood Oryx's intentions.

Invading Earth was merely a means to give Tobias a reason to come on board the Dreadnaught. But Oryx understood that Tobias draws his strength from the Traveler, so he moved the Dreadnaught out to Saturn, aiming to take Tobias as far from the Light as possible. Titus was merely a measuring stick for Oryx to determine how far down he would have to drag Tobias in order to even the playing field between them.

 _'The Light of your Traveler won't reach you out here.'_

Tobias felt his stomach drop as he began to realize that this was true. He was struggling to call forth the Light. He couldn't speak to his Ghost. The Traveler had been silenced. He was too far away…

"Damn…" Tobias said softly, now realizing the position he was in.

Suddenly the room began to shake violently as Oryx rose up from the other end of the room, now ten times the size he was back on the Dreadnaught. Tobias glanced over his shoulder, his eyes becoming wide as he saw the behemoth that was behind him.

"You did well defeating me in your realm. But in my domain, the Light will perish!" Oryx declared as he raised one hand toward Tobias. A dark energy engulfed his hand before the same aura suddenly surrounded Tobias, snatching him up from the floor. Tobias twisted and turned as he was carried over to Oryx, struggling to break free from this grip, but to no avail. Floating right in front of Oryx now, Tobias stared at the now gigantic face Oryx possessed, taking sharp breaths since he knew his death was imminent.

The black energy that surrounded Tobias gathered around his wrists and ankles, becoming large shackles as he was cast aside by Oryx who turned to look at the sun that still shined brilliantly despite their distance from it. Tobias came crashing to the floor with a thud, dumbfounded that he was still alive.

"What are you doing?" Tobias asked as he tried to rise to his feet. "Why are you letting me live?"

"In order to draw the Children of the Light onto my Dreadnaught, I needed something of great significance to them." Oryx replied, not even looking at Tobias.

"No." Tobias whispered. All of it was a trap.

"I will collect their Light, just like those that stood before me in the past. And once I kill you, that will mark the end of this conflict." Oryx stated, causing Tobias to perk up.

'Conflict?' Tobias said to himself, but before he could open his mouth to speak he was snatched from the floor once again. Being spun around in midair, Tobias was turned to face the Daughters of Oryx who had their hands raised, controlling the shackles on him. The two of them raised Tobias over to the far left corner of the room, extending chains out of the shackles which latched onto the pillars that were around the perimeter of the room.

Once again Tobias fought, trying to break free from these shackles, but he couldn't find any strength. Looking at Oryx who seemed to pay him no mind, and then to his Daughters who hovered silently over their platforms. This was the first time in a long time he felt so…powerless.

He could recall when he was in the Cosmodrome Wall, and he couldn't do anything to help Anari as she was ruthlessly killed by a Fallen Captain. Tobias had sworn to himself that he would do everything in his power to make sure none of his allies were lost. And yet, once again he was powerless as his friends were walking into the trap better known as the Dreadnaught.

A/N

Wow, huge, huge…huge chapter here. So glad to finally publish this one. A LOT happened here and a lot is going to happen in the next few chapters.

No matter how much we complained about the Hive during year two, this race received the most development by Bungie throughout Destiny 1. Aside from the Vex which really fascinate me, the Hive are the most interesting race in Destiny in my opinion. Look at what they did to the Moon in game, and the Dreadnaught is outstanding! I'm curious about how the Fallen interacted with the Traveler back on their home world, but outside of that they don't really interest me. And obviously the Cabal haven't received much love so I'd try to defend them here, but since Phalanxs piss me off so much, they can just sit at the bottom of my list.

As always guys, thank you so much for reading and I'll see you at the next update.


	27. The Crusade

**Chapter 27**

* * *

 **Earth**

 **The Mulligan**

Diana awoke with a fright, her breathing unsteady while her hair hung down in front her face. Her sweat was cold as she looked around the room, realizing that she was still in her room within the Mulligan.

"Diana, what's the matter?" Her Ghost asked, taking shape beside her. Diana glanced at her small companion, recognizing the look of concern within its small optics.

She had just gotten through one of the most vivid dreams she had-had in a long time. During the campaign she didn't get to sleep much, and it was nothing more than rest when she had the opportunity. Dreaming was something she hadn't experienced in quite a bit of time, but this dream was more than just…a dream. She was sure of it.

She had seen images of a Guardian in restraints, hanging in the air with the planet Saturn behind him. Something that she had seen in a vision before. But she could also see the Dreadnaught, leaving her to assume that this man must have been on board the ship. But she didn't understand why she would dream of the Dreadnaught of all things.

"I'm fine." She said after a few moments, allowing her breathing to become steady. Diana then glanced at the clock on the wall. It was three in the morning, which translated to the late evening the in Reef. "Can you open a channel to Petra for me?"

"You got it." It replied, opening up its shell to become the communication relay that Diana had requested. There was a few moments before a connection was established.

"Well Diana, I didn't expect a call from you anytime soon." Petra commented, getting a snort from Diana. "I heard the campaign ended. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah." Diana said with a nod. "Everything's great on our end. But I had a dream tonight."

"And by dream you mean…" Petra trailed off as Diana gave her another nod.

"Yeah... I think it was a vision."

"Of what?"

"It was of a Guardian on the Dreadnaught of all places. The strange thing is that I had a vision like this a couple months ago, and there are some similarities between them." Diana explained.

"Let's consider the similarities then."

"The first vision was hazy, but I could definitely see Tobias all shackled up. Unfortunately, that was all I could make out of the first one." Diana explained for her. It wasn't much to work with, but at least it was something.

"Mhmm, and what about the one you saw tonight?" Petra said.

"In the dream I had tonight, I saw a Guardian in the exact same position as Tobias. But like I said, they were on the Dreadnaught." Diana continued.

"This might be simpler than you think Diana. Could Tobias be on the Dreadnaught?" Petra suggested.

"No, Tobias wouldn't even think of doing, something…" Diana's speech slowed down as she took a second to consider this thought. The Tobias she knew before the campaign wouldn't even think of doing something like this. But since the campaign, Tobias wasn't the same. "Petra, I have to go."

Diana threw off her covers and jumped off her small bed, dashing over the exit of her room.

"Ghost, get into contact with Tobias right now." Diana said as she opened the door of her room so that she could break out into a sprint in the corridor. Tobias' room was on the other wing, across the base from her own. But Diana felt too uneasy to wait until the morning. Could Tobias have seriously gone onto the Dreadnaught on his own? No Guardian in their right mind would do such a reckless thing, and yet she couldn't put this possibility to rest. She would have to check on Tobias herself. "Any luck?"

"No." Her Ghost responded as kept pace with her now. "Neither him or his Ghost are responding."

The uneasy feeling within Diana grew stronger as she rounded a corner, entering the hallway where Tobias' room was located. She came skidding to a halt in front of his door and began pounding on it, screaming his name in hope that he would answer. Her Ghost quickly accessed the control panel and opened up the door to his room as other Guardians began to come out of their rooms from the sudden disturbance. Entering his room, Diana felt a numbness spread throughout her body as she stared at the empty room.

"Tobias?"

 **Hall of Guardians**

"Bring up all the logs from the past two days. I want to see all of our departures!" Zavala hollered to the frames as they retrieved the information from the data Zavala was heatedly searching for. They then transferred it to the central hub Zavala was waiting by, allowing him to quickly scan the list in search of anything out of the ordinary.

The Ghosts of all Guardians recorded where they were going if they were leaving Neo Chicago for any sort of assignment. Some of the information was classified, but Zavala could override any of the details in order to see everything that he wanted.

"Is it true?" Ikora exclaimed as she entered the Hall of Guardians, slightly winded since she had run from her room to the headquarters of the Vanguard.

"It seems so. All of them have already tried contacting him, but he isn't responding." Zavala replied.

"Are you sure he's not working under radio silence?" Ikora suggested as she joined Zavala at the central hub, sorting through the records that were displayed in front of him.

"His Ghost would have given us some sort of signal if that was the case." Zavala said before glancing at her. "Diana Amano has a theory. She said saw Tobias in a vision, on board the Dreadnaught."

It wasn't often that Ikora was left speechless, but this was one of those few cases.

"What?" She exclaimed, giving Zavala a hard stare. "How could this happen?"

"Cayde was informed that Tobias has been developing vendetta. It seems as though he's taken the matter about Oryx into his own hands." Zavala said before his gaze became locked onto one of the entries in the record book. It was recent. Not even a full day ago.

Eris Morn's ship had left the airfield. But all of the information surrounding the mission it had left on was classified. And not even Zavala's override could bring the information to light.

"Eris." Zavala said in low whisper. Could she had kidnapped Tobias and taken him to Oryx? Was she in league with the Hive? Zavala had always felt that he couldn't trust her.

"What about her?" Ikora asked as she eyed the logs, quickly spotting why Zavala had mentioned her name.

"She has something to do with Tobias' disappearance." Zavala said as he began to work on another override, hoping to crack the code that was withholding this information from him.

Ikora remained silent at this though. There was no way Eris could be involved. She was among Ikora's Hidden. Something didn't make any sense. What reason could Eris have to betray the Vanguard?

"Easy Zavala, no need to start pointing fingers just yet." Cayde said as he entered the room, gaining the attention of the two other Vanguard Mentors.

"Timely arrival as always Cayde." Zavala commented, not even turning to look at his Hunter counterpart.

"Would you expect anything less?" Cayde said as he neared the console Zavala was using, brushing Zavala's hands away from the controls that he could input the override. Zavala's gaze became sharp as the record log surrounding the departure of Eris' ship became open. It's destination…the Dreadnaught.

"Cayde, why did you know the override for the details of this mission?" Zavala asked him, hoping to receive an answer that didn't match the assumptions in his head.

"I was the one who assigned it." Cayde revealed, although this wasn't news at this point.

"Are you out of your damn mind?" Zavala snapped at him as Cayde took some distance Zavala.

"Now Zavala, before you do anything you'll regret, take a moment to consider what happened." Cayde said as the Titan took some threatening and heavy steps toward him.

"All I know is that one of our most valuable assets is now sitting in Oryx's clutches." Zavala stated as he came to a halt after feeling Ikora place a hand on his shoulder.

"Care to explain Cayde." Ikora stated, folding her arms in front of her chest. Cayde only chuckled nervously as the other two Mentors were clearly displeased with his efforts to eliminate Oryx.

"If you two recall, the libraries of the Awoken said that Tobias fought Oryx to a standstill in the past." Cayde began. "Then we saw him tap into the Radiant Light beneath the Hive fortress. I was pretty sure that Tobias would be able to take Oryx on mano y mano."

"So what in your right mind made you think it was a good idea to send him into the Dreadnaught by himself." Zavala demanded.

"Tobias was the big hero of the raid teams when we attacked the Hive fortress. This time though, he's paving the way for everyone else." Cayde explained as his Ghost formed beside him, beginning to project some visuals of the Dreadnaught for them. "From the moment he landed on the Dreadnaught, his Ghost was preparing the way for other Guardians."

"So without any of our authorization, you launched an operation against the Dreadnaught." Zavala clarified.

"You can call it what you want, but this operation is a success. There's a transmat zone in the Dreadnaught for us. Its weapons have been disabled. Now all we have to do, is send in the cavalry." Cayde declared with a smirk.

"You failed to mention the sacrifice involved in making all of this possible." Ikora noted, but Cayde waved this off.

"Tobias' Ghost had been mapping the Dreadnaught as they traveled through it. It shouldn't be too hard to have a team track him down in there. And I'm pretty sure there's going to be a fireteam that's more than willing to go after him." Cayde said as the members of Undaunted came to mind.

* * *

The news that Tobias had boarded the Dreadnaught by himself had spread like wildfire among the Guardians. And when it was revealed that he had been tasked with killing Oryx, many of them thought that he had lost his mind for undertaking this mission by himself. But this was short lived since the Vanguard quickly announced that they were going on the offensive once again. The Guardians would be boarding the Dreadnaught not only to pursue Tobias, but to put the Taken King to rest.

A great gathering had occurred once again within the Hall the Guardians as the strongest Guardians had come together to discuss an action plan. They had already witnessed the ways the Hive are capable of transforming other worlds. But this time they were going into a world that had been built from the ground up by the Hive. They could only imagine what they were going to encounter here.

"I can't wait to find Tobias so that I can kick his ass." Niko said as he cracked his knuckles, clearly irritated with Tobias' recklessness. The least he could have done was bring along some back up. Hogging all of the action for himself was certainly a way to get on Niko's bad side.

"What was he thinking though?" Carmen asked as she glanced up at Diana who stood beside her.

"I wish I knew." She replied softly, still in shock that Tobias would go as far as to challenge Oryx by himself.

"Attention!" Zavala bellowed, silencing the crowd so that he had their full attention. "As I'm sure most of you have heard already, Cayde managed to get a Guardian on board the Dreadnaught to begin mapping the ship for us to launch an attack on Oryx."

As Zavala spoke, the projector at the center of the table lit up, showing everyone a large visual of the Dreadnaught. It then began to simulate Tobias approaching the Hive flagship, showing them where he landed, and how far in he had journeyed into the depths of the ship.

"As you can see, he didn't get very far, but his Ghost reported that they engaged Oryx before we lost contact with him." Cayde explained, causing the Guardians to look around at one another. The projector than showed them all an image of the area where Tobias had fought Oryx.

"That." Eris said sharply, gaining everyone's attention as she recognized portal toward the back of the arena.

"What?" Cayde asked her.

"That is a Rupture." Eris stated.

"What is that?"

"A portal, used to cross between our realm and the Ascendant Realm. It's a means to get to Oryx's Throne World." Eris explained for them. "It's likely that Tobias entered the Rupture, and that is why you can't contact him."

"Throne World?" Zavala repeated, recalling that this had been mentioned before by Eris.

"It's the only place where you can actually kill these Hive gods. Killing them in our realm only sends them back to their own world to rest and recover so that they can then return once again." Eris explained.

"So like when we jumped into the Hellmouth to kill Crota." Niko pointed out, getting a nod from Eris.

"But the gateway isn't open for us this time. Only one of the Ascendant can will open a Rupture to enter Oryx's Throne World." Eris continued.

"So how are we going to get in there then?" Zavala asked her.

"Usually I'd recommend blowing our way in, but it looks like that won't work this time." Cayde commented, getting a chuckle from a few of the other Guardians, but Eris only sighed at him.

"We already have an Ascendant among us. She will be the one to guide you into Oryx's Throne World." Eris replied, leaving everyone a bit confused.

"Are you talking about yourself?" Ikora inquired, but Eris shook her head before setting her gaze on a silver haired Guardian. Everyone followed Eris' line of sight until the entire room was staring at Diana Amano.

"Huh?" Diana exclaimed, clearly dumbfounded as she pointed at herself. "How am I an Ascendant?"

"You wielded the Ascendant Sword to face Crota, did you not?" Eris asked, causing Diana to drop her hand. She had been one to the wield sword when she and Undaunted faced off with Crota. Briggs had entrusted her with the responsibility while he and Niko did everything in their power to bring Crota to his knees for her. "The power of the sword is of the Darkness. It's clear to me that some of that power is still within you, and I'm certain you can use it to command a Rupture."

This was an unsettling thought for those present as they looked at Diana. Most of them had known of her heroics killing Crota with the rest of Undaunted, but they had never thought of the Darkness lingering within her. Was it safe to be around her?

"So then Undaunted will be the team to pursue Tobias into the Ascendant Realm." Ikora stated, getting a nod of confidence from Niko and Carmen.

"There's still the matter of what's taking place on the rest of the Dreadnaught." Gale pointed out, making his presence known to everyone. He had been among a few of the high ranking members of the Vanguard who had a chance to study all of the information Tobias' Ghost had sent them regarding the Dreadnaught. "The Dreadnaught is a war zone right now. The last of a Cabal Legion is still on board the Dreadnaught, and it's very likely that they've stirred up the Hive across the ship. It's going to be very dangerous to go into it now."

"Good observation." Zavala noted as they projector expanded the portion of the ship that Tobias had mapped.

"Tobias' Ghost also said that the Cabal were present in the area where he fought Oryx. If we're going to rescue Tobias , we'll need a sizable force to hold down the area." Gale added, getting a nod of agreement from all of the commanding officers.

"Fireteam leaders, you'll be responsible for holding down this area while the raid team enters the Ascendant Realm." Zavala declared to those present. "We will be departing in two days, so prepare yourselves for the battle that approaches!"

 **Old Russia**

 **Cosmodrome**

 **Seraphim Vault**

Carmen looked around in amazement at the intricate design of Rasputin's Bunker beneath the Cosmodrome. She was delighted to get to see it for herself after hearing Tobias' story about coming down into here to reactivate Rasputin. Fortunately, the Taken goo that had been all over the place during their initial visit was gone, much to Gale's delight.

"So Gale, are you finally going to tell me why we came here?" Carmen asked curiously as she trailed behind the small Exo who was leading the way into the Vault.

"Not yet Carmen. If I tell you now you'll only laugh at me." Gale responded cheekily as they ascended a short staircase before arriving at the central hub that led into a large circular room. Gale guided her through a doorway, taking them into this room which Carmen could assume was the heart of Rasputin's system based on the constructs at the center of the room. Gale however took them to the back of the room where a small console was waiting for them.

"You're being so lame keeping secrets Gale." Carmen commented, teasing her small teammate who looked back at her to make a face before focusing on the console he now stood in front of.

"My creator designed me to act as an alarm clock for Rasputin. That sounds pretty lame doesn't it?" Gale asked her as he locked the tip of his fingers into a small port on the console.

"It sure does." Carmen commented as she stepped up beside him, taking a moment to glance into his eyes. She could see the binary flying across his optics as he sorted through a vast amount of information.

"Well he did give me something cool too." Gale began once he detached his fingers from the console, causing one the diamond shaped tunnels to their side to open up. "One of the protocols he designed was for Rasputin to weaponize me. So I have a few treasures locked away in here."

Gale led her over to the tunnel, waiting a few moments for the smoke that was within it to fade away so that they could see what was within. The tunnel was short, quickly leading to a wall that was well lit by some small spotlights, all of which were directed at a weapon that was mounted on the wall.

"What the heck is that?" Carmen blurted out, getting a laugh from Gale as they approached the weapon.

"It's from the Golden Age. My creator sealed this into the bunker with me during the Collapse. He said that when I was given the opportunity, to use this weapon to help protect people." Gale explained to her as he lifted up the weapon to remove it from the wall, allowing Carmen to get a closer look at the angular weapon. "It's called the Sleeper Simulant."

"So this is what we came for?" Carmen asked, getting a nod from Gale.

"Although, I'm not finished just yet." He added as he set the weapon down and placed his hands on the wall of the room that the weapon had been mounted on. The wall lit up in response to this, quickly spreading throughout the entire tunnel. Carmen leapt back with a yelp as Gale was suddenly consumed within the light. She could hear all sorts of sounds, the buzz of a saw, hammers banging away, and metal being locked into place.

Soon enough the light faded, revealing Gale to Carmen. And her jaw dropped in response. The small Exo that she had grown accustomed to was now suited up in armor resembling a Titan. He was still just as short as Carmen, but the small frame he had previously possessed was a thing of the past. Gale looked like a small tank as he stepped toward her with the Sleeper Simulant in hand.

"I want go with you guys, to rescue Tobias." Gale admitted to her, causing Carmen to raise her eyebrows. "I wasn't designed to be on the front lines of the battlefield, but this was the sole purpose I was built for. To help Tobias in his battle against our enemies. He needs help this time, and I don't want to regret knowing that I could've helped and didn't."

Carmen couldn't help but smile warmly at Gale, impressed that he was willing to go to such an extreme for Tobias. He looked just like a Guardian now, although he still lacked the combat experience. But there was still time for her to hammer something into him before they set out for the Dreadnaught.

"I don't get the final say in this, but I know for a fact that we're going to need all the help we can get to beat Oryx. So I'm sure you'll be able to join us." Carmen said before eyeing the weapon once again. "But first I want to see that thing in action."

Carmen's jaw dropped as the two of them stood outside her ship, watching as the winds took away the ashes of her Sparrow.

"Holy crap!" She screamed as she turned toward Gale who had pumped his fist in the air. A shot from his Sleeper Simulant had vaporized her Sparrow completely. Vaporizing a Sparrow was not to be taken lightly since the land craft was built strong enough to take some hard hits from enemy fire. This weapon that Gale was carrying was no joke. "There's no way Diana will turn you down now!"

 **Neo Chicago**

 **The Mulligan**

 **Courtyard**

Diana and Niko stood on one of the upper levels that overlooked the courtyard of the Mulligan. Niko was seated on the banister while Diana was leaning on it, patiently waiting for the person who had called them together.

"Do you have any idea who it is?" Niko asked curiously as he watched a pair of Guardians down below as they stopped by the Vault to retrieve some of their weapons.

"Not in the slightest. He just said to meet him here." Diana responded.

"So this could be some kind of terrorist that's trying to assassinate us." Niko pointed out, getting a sigh from Diana.

"Or it could be some sweet old lady who's going to give us cookies for our efforts." Diana retorted.

"Yeah, cookies laced with poison." Niko added as he pointed at her, causing Diana to roll her eyes.

"Niko, we're immortal. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't matter if they were poisoned." Diana said before frowning, wondering why she was even having such a discussion in the first place.

"Such a killjoy. Couldn't we just sit here and think of the possibilities?" Niko asked her.

"The possibilities of what? The person we're meeting being some kind of assassin?" Diana asked him in return.

"You never know. You have to think of all of the possibilities to be ready for anything don't you?"

"But considering all of these stupid and impossible situations is just a waste of time."

"Exactly!" Niko exclaimed before a new voice cleared their throat, getting the attention of the duo.

"I'm glad to see the both of you are still so free spirited." He said to them as they turned to face him. The pair quickly identified him as Zeke, someone they hadn't seen much of during the campaign.

"I would've never guessed that it was the leader of fireteam chameleon that called us." Niko said with a small smirk, but Zeke remained completely stoic, ignoring Niko's usual jab at his fireteam's name. Niko was a bit surprised at Zeke's new composure, but he didn't show this on his face. "So what did you call us for?"

"Word spreads quickly. I heard you guys are going after Oryx. I want in." Zeke stated as looked Niko, and then shifted his gaze to Diana.

"Done, you're in." Niko said suddenly.

"Hold on." Diana interjected, cutting off Niko before he could go any further. "I want to a reason first."

Zeke though had already had an answer. He had made up his mind right after their assault on the Hive fortress.

"I want my teammates to rest in peace. They can't do that as long as Oryx and the Taken are out there." Zeke replied sternly, not a hint of hesitation or doubt in his voice. He was ready to enter Oryx's realm, and die there if it meant avenging his lost teammates. Diana gulped softly while Niko gave Zeke a slow nod as he hopped off the banister to approach him.

"Welcome aboard then. And don't worry...we'll get his head." Niko stated as he raised arm. Zeke did the same and the two of them bumped their forearms together as Niko passed by him.

 **Airfield**

"Guardians, you are clear to depart!" Zavala declared through the communication line, and with that, dozens of spacecrafts rose up from the landing strip, carrying teams of Guardians within as they began their trip to the Dreadnaught.

Within Diana's ship was the five man raid team that would be entering Oryx's Ascendant Realm not only to rescue Tobias, but to finish off Oryx as well. Diana was seated in the cockpit, but in the main chamber of the ship was Zeke seated by himself, with Niko, Gale and Carmen seated across from him. Unlike the two younger Guardians seated beside him, Niko could sense the distaste within Zeke that seemed to be directed at Gale.

Niko glanced at Gale and Carmen as they spoke animatedly together, before looking back at Zeke who spared them a glance every once in a while.

"Is something the matter?" Niko asked him, getting everyone's attention.

"Huh?" Carmen said to him.

"Not you. Him." Niko stated as he motioned to Zeke.

"Are you all even taking this mission seriously?" Zeke asked sharply as he gave Niko a sharp stare.

"Of course we are." The Hunter replied.

"So then why are you bringing him? He's not even a Guardian, and I doubt he's capable of the type of combat we're going to experience fighting Oryx." Zeke proclaimed as he pointed at Gale. He couldn't understand how Undaunted, a first class fireteam, was bringing along an Exo with no abilities or combat experience. Was he supposed to be some kind of mascot for them on the battlefield?

"Hey, lay off of him!" Carmen snapped at Zeke.

"Don't you value his life though? Bringing him onto the Dreadnaught will get him killed!" Zeke continued.

"Are you doubting our ability to protect him?" Niko asked sharply.

"I'm just saying that you have to be realistic. You don't know what could happen." Zeke replied, but didn't deter any of them.

"Gale is confident that he can contribute during this mission. And with the odds we're faced with, any contribution is welcome." Niko said strongly.

"Yeah. We put our trust and faith in one another." Carmen said to him pointedly, irritated with Zeke's attitude which had clearly changed dramatically since their last mission together. Niko raised a hand to silence Carmen before she could go any further.

"I understand that you've been through a lot recently." Niko began, trying to sympathize with him. "But you have to understand. The faith that we put into one another is why this fireteam succeeds. If you don't believe in it, then you don't have a place on this team."

Zeke gave a heavy sigh before he went silent, looking away from the group of three. In the cockpit though, Diana had heard everything that Niko had said, and she failed to hide the irritation from her expression.

"Is something the matter Diana?" Her Ghost asked her curiously as it looked away from the controls of the ship.

"Close the cockpit." She said, motioning to the door behind them. The chamber she was in was sealed off by her Ghost, allowing them to speak privately.

"What's bothering you?" Her Ghost asked once again, hovering beside her now.

"Niko's just been getting under my skin lately." Diana said, refusing to make eye contact with her companion. For someone that didn't seem to have any faith in her as their leader, he didn't even have the right to say something like that to Zeke.

"Is it what he just said?"

"Yeah."

"You know that young woman you spoke to after the campaign recommended talking to Niko. When are you going to consider that?"

"Believe me, I want to. But I have no idea what he's going to say. And I don't want to throw off the team's chemistry since we're going into the Dreadnaught." Diana explained. If she was going to address an issue, it had to be timely to ensure that it didn't affect the team's performance. And now was clearly a bad time since they were going after the head of the Taken King.

"You can't let feelings like this fester though Diana. You should address this problem with Niko as soon as possible." Her Ghost warned her. Diana gave a heavy sigh in response as she leaned back into her seat.

"...Yeah, you're right."

"I know."

Diana gave her companion a sharp glance, but her Ghost was unfazed by this as it blinked at her…or was it a wink?

 **Saturn**

 **Dreadnaught**

Dozens of the small vessels containing teams of Guardians came out of hyperspace, allowing the passengers to marvel at the size of Saturn and its sparkling rings. But before they could become wrapped up in admiring Saturn, they spotted their destination.

"There it is."

"The Dreadnaught."

"That's a _big_ ass ship."

"The whole thing is going to be up in flames when we're done with it."

The location where they would be landing had already been given to the Ghosts who guided their pilots along the side of the ship to the area where Tobias' had entered the Dreadnaught. It was like a small crevice in the side of the ship's massive hull, but it was large and spacious for the Guardians as they landed, ready to embark on their journey into this Hive world.

The five members of Undaunted were among the last to leave the landing zone. Diana kneeled down beside the small flashing beacon that had been left behind by Tobias, envisioning him as he placed this device for other fireteams to join him on the Dreadnaught.

"Don't worry, we're going to get him back." Niko said to her as he motioned for her to join the rest of the team. Carmen and Gale stood near the edge of the landing zone, staring out at the cosmos around them. Zeke on the other hand was well ahead of them, waiting by the entryway that would take them into the belly of the ship.

"Come on guys, let's get moving." Diana said as she clapped her hands, calling for Carmen and Gale over as they headed over to Zeke. They all gathered around the entrance where they could see some of the fireteams that were still crossing the pit that they had seen in the map provided by Tobias' Ghost. "Well this is it."

There was brief moment of silence.

"That's it?" Carmen asked her. "Nothing to motivate us or anything?"

"Well sheesh, what do you want?"

"I want you say that we're going on an ass kicking parade or something!" Carmen exclaimed at her, surprising Diana a bit before looked around at her teammates who were looking at her expectantly. She was the leader of this operation. Diana's gaze settled onto Niko, and she decided that she would take a page of his book.

"Alright then, let's go kick some ass."

 **Hall of Souls**

"We're reporting in from the upper level. The Cabal presence is heaviest up here. I don't think we'll be advancing any further any time soon."

"Report from the lower level. It's all Hive and Taken down here. We've already arrived at the entryway to another area. We're going to begin mapping this area right now."

 _BOOOOOOM_

Explosions and gunfire echoed throughout the Dreadnaught as heavy gunfights raged on.

The Guardians had met little to no opposition until they arrived at the last known location of Tobias, the Hall of Souls. This area was large and filled with conflict. On the upper levels, the Cabal had been locked in combat with the Hive who had been trying to eliminate the invaders from their ship. But the Cabal was prevailing as they continued to advance from the area of the Dreadnaught that they had crashed into. The center level, or middle ground was what the Guardians were most interested in though. The arena where the Rupture was located.

"Eris, is this it?" Diana asked as her Ghost scanned the structure for the Vanguard to get a visual back on Earth.

"Yes. This is the Rupture." Eris stated, causing all of the fireteams present to focus on the portal between dimensions.

"So tell me what I have to do." Diana said as she positioned herself at the center of it, taking a moment to look around at her surroundings.

"Command it. It will open at your order." Eris proclaimed before a radio silence set in. Diana took a moment to think about what Eris had just shared with her. All eyes were on her now as Diana stood directly at the center of the structure, ready to open the portal to Oryx's realm.

She had to command it. It was waiting for her order…

Diana clapped her hands together and looked up at the Rupture expectantly. Nothing. Chewing on her lower lip for a moment, Diana looked at the two jagged pillars before comparing them to lightning rods. Channeling Arc Light into her hands, she then slapped the ground, sending the electrical current through the floor and into the pillar. Everyone watched as bolts of electricity climbed up to the top of the pillars, but still nothing happened in response to Diana's efforts.

With a sigh Diana straightened up, unsure of what she should do. The Rupture would respond to her command, but how would she input her command?

"Eris, I have no clue what I'm doing. Do you have any tips?" Diana asked, looking up as she waited for a response from the woman who was light years away from her.

"The Rupture is a pathway between worlds. Treat it as a doorway." Eris said to her.

"A doorway." Diana repeated, nodding to herself as she recalled some of the training she had done as Voidwalker. Her training to use Blink, creating an opening into the Void, and then another to reenter reality. This could be what she needed to do.

Diana shut her eyes, taking a moment to visual the area in her head. But as the image took shape in her mind, Diana began to sense the Darkness flowing forth from the Rupture. It was swirling, spiraling out between the two pillars, waiting for someone to calm the flow and open the doorway. Diana took a deep breath as she reached out with one hand, her hand gaining a purple glow as she slowly moved it to the side. The corresponding pillar began to glow as well as a small seam opened up at the very center of the area between the pillars. It rose in height until it was the same height as the pillars, slowly beginning to widen out.

Diana then raised her remaining hand stretched out to her side as well, causing the other pillar to glow as well. The seam then expanded suddenly with a deafening gong, sending chills down the spines of the Guardians as the Rupture opened up in front of them. Diana exhaled deeply as she lowered hands, opening her eyes to see that eerie green portal that loomed over her.

"You did it!" Carmen said as her team gathered around her, staring at the entrance to their mission.

"The portal is open Eris, we're going in." Niko declared.

"Enter Guardians, and send Oryx's soul screaming into the pit between the stars." Eris commanded.

"I think that's her way of saying go get his head Guardians." Cayde added, getting a chuckle from Undaunted as Eris gave an exasperated sigh in response.

"Are you guys ready?" Diana asked the team as she glanced around at them.

"Yes." They all said together before approaching the portal.

"Then let's go get Tobias." She said, stepping through. One by one, each of them disappeared into the portal, leaving the Guardians behind to say in prayer for their success.

 **The High War**

 **Portico**

"I can't believe we stinkin' made it." Niko exclaimed with a sigh of relief as he and the team glanced back at the dead space they had successfully crossed. It was a confusing puzzle of Hive Tombships that spawned and flew on various courses that eventually took them to the other side. It was nerve racking, and all five of them were positive that they wouldn't have made it if not for a small spark of light that showed them where they had to jump to.

All of them had made it across, even Gale who was still learning how to properly use the jet pack that had been added to the armor he received from the Seraphim Vault. Now as they stood on the other side, they all looked toward the small corridor in front of them that would take them further into this world. They had yet to encounter an enemy, not that they wanted to fight anything while they were ship jumping.

"Ghost, can you map out this location?" Carmen asked, calling upon her companion, but there was no response. "Ghost?"

"Don't bother Carmen." Niko said to her.

"What do you mean? Is something wrong?"

"This is like when we went into the Hellmouth. The Darkness is too strong here. You're Ghost can't help you here." Niko explained to her.

"Wait, so if we die here…it's over?" Carmen asked, getting a slow nod from Niko and Diana. They had learned that the hard way when they had gone in to slay Crota. They had gone down as a team of six, but only three of them returned.

"Why is that a shock to you? Any mission you accept, death is a possibility. But you should have resolved in your heart to complete the mission, regardless of what happens to you." Zeke said to her as he proceeded into the corridor to examine it.

"You know, you used to be really cool. Now you're such a downer!" Carmen hollered at him, blowing a raspberry.

"Chill Carmen." Niko said to her before she could add anything else. As bothersome as Zeke's current demeanor may have been, it was clear that he wanted them to see that missions don't always end in success. He knew that first hand, and he was trying to make sure nothing similar happened to them.

"Come on, let's keep moving." Diana said as she followed Zeke. The corridor was short, leading up to a large shaft that had a strong suction that would take them up it.

"Nowhere else to go but up." Niko commented as he stepped in and was snatched from his feet. All of them watched as he was taken up into the shaft, leaving them behind. Together the rest of them jumped in as well, pursuing Niko who was now waiting for them up top.

It was a long climb, longer than any of them were expecting, although there was nothing to complain about since they were being carried by the winds. As they looked up to the top of the tunnel, they could see a light now as they approached the exit.

"Oh my god!" Niko screamed as he was spat of the tunnel, putting the others on edge since they were still a fair distance behind him.

"Niko, what happened?" Diana asked anxiously, but there was no response from her companion.

"Niko!" Carmen hollered, becoming impatient as they finally arrived at the exit. Each of them was thrown out the tunnel, giving them just enough time to adjust themselves in the air to land on their feet. As they landed they quickly looked around, searching for the cause of Niko's distress, but they couldn't find anything. There were no enemies, but Niko was missing as well.

"Niko, where are you?" Diana asked once again in search of her teammate.

A scream came from behind the group, causing their blood to turn cold. The instincts of Carmen, Diana and Zeke took over as they all dove away in some fashion, hitting the ground rolling while they took a hold of their weapons. Coming to a stop, each of them was now facing the opposite direction; their weapons raised and aimed at…Niko.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Zeke snapped at him, getting a chuckle from Niko.

"That was a just a quick check to see who's ready for this mission." Niko explained as his gaze was set firmly on Gale, the only person who hadn't responded to the surprise accordingly. "Gale, if we go any further I'm pretty sure that one way transmat I gave you will become useless. Are you sure that you want to come with us?"

"I may not have combat experience, but you're forgetting that I am a strategist for the Vanguard. I anticipated that you'd do something like this, and I didn't feel the need to react like the others." Gale explained as he addressed Niko who smiled behind his helmet. "I'm going to rescue Tobias, even if it costs me my life."

"Alright then, I hope you're ready then." Niko said as he motioned to the corridor ahead of them. And it was then that the remaining Guardians sensed the intense Darkness that was lying in wait. Once they entered that area, there was no turning back.

"Let's do this." Carmen said, punching her palm audibly.

Together they pressed forward, soon arriving at a large doorway that was sealed off, just like the Hive chambers within the Moon. But the door reacted to their presence, splitting in four directions at the center before they receded into the wall, revealing the next room to them. But the first thing to catch their eye was the same spark of light that was waiting for them at the entrance.

"Oh, you're back." Niko noted as he approached it, eager to see what it would do for them this time. But instead of jumping away like it had done when they were ship jumping, the spark light began to grow, taking on the form of a human although it lacked any kind of features.

"Whoa." Carmen and Gale said together as the light now stepped toward them.

"Hello Guardians, I've been waiting a long time for you all to come here." It said to them. "I, am Toland."

A/N

Here we go! All-out war on the Dreadnaught while the raid team goes in to take out the Taken King. Let King's Fall begin!

In bigger news though, reports are out that Destiny 2 is on schedule for release near the end of this year! There was no sort of news about content or anything but for whatever reason that got me hyped and I've been playing Destiny a bit more again. Man, when that first trailer drops it's going to be FIRE! So pumped!

Let's see, if I'm at chapter 27 right now, and I release a chapter or two a month until September ( if the launch of D2 is that early ), then that could be anywhere between eight and sixteen chapters so I could be at chapter 35 or higher. Hmm, okay, I'll try to make this happen then.

As always guys, thanks for the clicks and support! Hopefully I'll see you again later this month!


	28. King's Fall : Approaching the Throne

**Chapter 28**

* * *

 **The High War**

 **Basilica**

"Knights!" Carmen called out as she sprinted through one of the two connecting rooms to the main chamber of the Basilica. Surrounding her was a transparent dome that provided her with protecting from the dense Darkness that filled the two connected rooms. Without this dome, they would've been choked of their Light and killed in there.

As Carmen neared the entrance to the main chamber, she saw Niko running toward her as well. The two of them stopped at the entrance, allowing Niko to step into the field that surrounded Carmen.

"Right on time." He noted as a tether from Carmen latched onto to him, passing the dome of protection to him. Niko now ran down into the connecting room while Carmen ran to the heart of the main chamber where all of the action was.

"Pick up a Blessing if you didn't already!" Zeke called out to her after placing a Ward of Dawn in the center of the room. Carmen went sliding into the bubble, picking the extra shielding it provided before stepping out onto the circular platform with Zeke which it lit up in response.

"The Knight is down on my side." Niko called out.

"Same over here." Diana added from the opposite room.

"Keep an eye out for the Wizard." Toland warned them. "This is the last rotation, you just have to pass the Brand one last time."

"Spotted." Gale stated, causing both Gale and Carmen to look up to the raised platforms on the sides of the main chamber where the Wizards had been attacking from. All they saw though was a beam of red light pass over their heads, followed the screech of Wizard before it was turned into fiery dust.

"Nice shot!" Carmen exclaimed as she glanced back at the Exo who stood way up at the entrance to the main chamber, picking off the enemies that were flooding to this room from the large gateway.

 _"Think of this as practice for the task of killing Oryx." Toland began as the form he had taken on looked around at them. "This gateway here, it's essentially the entrance to Oryx's Throne World."_

 _"But I thought we already entered it by going through the Rupture." Carmen pointed out._

 _"The Rupture is the entrance to the pathways between Throne Worlds. The Crossroads. The roadways bend and twist based on the destination that the travelers desire. You were seeking Oryx's world, the High War, and it took you here." Toland continued, watching as Carmen tried to make sense of what he was saying._

 _"Alright, forget that. How is this practice for killing Oryx?" Carmen said as she brushed aside the information he had shared._

 _"There is a process to kill Oryx, a process that he set in motion himself because it's his means of killing you." Toland explained._

 _"Wait, so you're saying that Oryx has to make himself vulnerable to kill us?" Niko asked._

 _"Exactly."_

 _"But why?"_

 _"He seeks to claim your Light, just like he has done to others in the past. Once he obtains it he must corrupt it. But to do that, he must make himself vulnerable…and that is when we will strike him down." Toland went on. "There are various tasks you have to complete amidst the chaos, this is preparation. You must be able to maintain control of certain areas, move as a unit and cover each other's backs."_

They were quickly beginning to understand why Toland had told them all of this beforehand. Any team attempting this without any knowledge beforehand would have been utterly defeated by the Hive. But even with this information, it still took a cohesive team to complete the tasks that were required to open the gateway to Oryx's realm.

In each of the side rooms, there were Annihilator Totems that were the source of the intense Darkness within the rooms. But in order to open the gateway, they had to gather the power of the Annihilator Totems and deposit it into a circular panel on the floor of the main chamber. Toland informed that in order to enter the side rooms to collect the power from the Annihilator Totems, they would need the Brand that rested at the entrance to the two rooms. This would protect their Light while they were in such dense Darkness.

They split into groups of two, one Guardian going in to collect this power while the other dropped off what they had gathered. They went back and forth as they swapped the Brand, closely listening to each other for the cues Toland had told them about.

The Wizards that were appearing in the main chamber were coming at a timed interval. That marked when the Guardians in the middle were supposed to split to head back to their side rooms to swap the Brand. Fortunately though, if you were in a side room and you saw a Boomer Knight come out onto a platform above, that marked your time to move as well. Their calls were quick and sharp as they all moved, and it wasn't long before they understood the routine and began acting as efficiently as possible.

"Switch successful." Zeke noted as he arrived at the Annihilator Totem, anxiously waiting to see what would take place from there.

"We're dropping off the last of it now." Diana added as fired her fusion rifle, vaporizing a group of Thrall that had been rushing toward her and Niko. Once again, Gale destroyed the Wizard in the main chamber with one shot from his Sleeper Simulant. He then set the weapon down and picked up his scout rifle, searching for the next wave of enemies, but it was then that he noticed that nothing else had spawned.

"Is that it?" Niko asked, slightly disappointed that it was over. But their attention was quickly drawn to the gateway. The opening in it had previously been green and murky, but it cleared away granting them access to the next room.

"Whoa!" Carmen exclaimed as she and Zeke arrived at the main chamber to see that they could finally press forward.

"Excellent work Guardians." Toland said, almost sounding elated.

"So what happens now?" Diana asked as they all approached the gateway, unsure of what awaited them as they now began to venture into the High War.

"Someone else already killed off Oryx's subordinates that you would have had to face. So our next destination is Oryx himself." Toland stated, surprising the group as he took the lead, guiding them into the next room.

'Must have been Tobias.' Diana concluded. He had done all this by himself, without anyone knowing. Why would he put himself through all of this alone?

The team quickly scaled the rocky wall of the room to reach the elevated area at the far end of the room. Upon reaching this new height, they all discovered what appeared to be another Rupture waiting there for them. Toland went through with no hesitation and the rest of them followed him in.

 **Threshold**

Oryx seemed to come to life once again, moving for the first time in what felt like days to Tobias. He didn't really know what Oryx had been doing during this time, but the Taken King hadn't moved an inch since Tobias had been shackled up. In fact, his Daughters hadn't moved from their platforms either. Titus was the only one had moved, and he had gone missing quite a bit of time ago.

Oryx spread his wings gallantly his gaze became fixated on the entrance to his throne room. There were a group of five figures standing there weapons out and aimed at him.

"Holy crap! He's stinkin' _huge_!" Carmen shouted as the group of five observed their target.

"Damn, are we really going to kill _that_?" Niko asked as he looked around for Toland, but they discovered that he was still in the small chamber connecting to the throne room. "Aren't you coming?"

There was no response from the figure of light who remained in the chamber connected to the throne room, watching them from there.

"What's going on?" Diana asked, but their attention was quickly pulled up to the Daughters of Oryx who began to move as well, pleased to see that the Guardians had arrived. The protective fields around them faded away as the two of them rose from their platforms, raising their hands. Even Oryx looked up at his daughter's confused as to what they were doing.

The two of them began to hum softly before they turned their backs to each other, thrusting their hands outward. A rippling blast was released from them, crashing into the unseen walls around the room, shattering them. The scenery surrounding them remained unchanged by this, but Oryx roared intensely at their actions.

"Does anyone have any idea what's going on?" Gale asked as he looked around at his teammates, hoping someone would know the answer.

"They broke the seal." It was Toland, he was speaking again. "It's a mutiny."

"What?" Diana asked as they looked back at the figure who had joined them in the throne room now.

"Oryx placed a seal on his throne room, to ensure that I would never be able to enter it. His Daughters just broke the seal to let me in." Toland exclaimed as he realized that the Daughters of Oryx had an agenda of their own. "I don't know what they're planning, but they want us to kill him!"

All of them looked up at the Daughters who then turned away from their father, a black aura beginning to circle around them before it consumed them completely. And then just like that, it disappeared leaving the Guardians to face Oryx.

"What's going on?" Tobias asked himself. All of this commotion was taking place, and he had no clue what the cause was. Everyone was looking at the entrance of the throne room but he couldn't see it with the angle he had. It was hidden behind one of the platforms that Oryx's daughters had previously been using.

"My ignorant children. You will pay dearly for this betrayal." Oryx said to himself before he focused on the Guardians once again as they came to front of the room, aiming at him with their weapons.

"There's Tobias, let's get him!" Niko pointed out. Oryx then raised his hands, summoning the Taken onto the field to fight the Guardians. A pair of black orbs dropped down in the front corners of the room, sending out dozens of Taken Thrall to swarm them.

"Quick, gun them down!" Diana commanded as they began to fire upon their enemies who began to surround them. "Carmen cut Tobias's loose. We're going to need him!"

"I'm on it! Golden Gun!" Carmen screamed as she whipped out her gray pistol and raised it over her head, fueling it with Solar Light. The small weapon became engulfed with flames which Carmen then took aim with, rattling off three shots at Tobias, severing three of the four shackles that held him up. The shackle that remained held his wrist, but Tobias quickly unsheathed his tanto and channeled Arc Light into it cut away his restraint. This sent Tobias plummeting to the floor, but he rotated to land on his feet, glad to finally be standing on his own again. But before Tobias could get comfortable on the ground he found himself surrounded by Taken Thrall, fortunately for him his teammates quickly came to his rescue.

The slam of Zeke activating the Hammer of Sol rang out, within a few moments the Taken Thrall surrounding them was reduced to embers that drifted off into the surrounding space.

"What, no thanks for saving my ass Carmen?" Carmen asked Tobias as he joined the team as they stepped back, allowing Zeke to finished off the last of the Taken. Tobias recognized three of the five Guardians that were present. Diana, Niko and Carmen were wearing the armor he was accustomed to, but the remaining pair he couldn't identify.

"I hope you know we're going to have a long talk later Tobias." Diana pointed out to him

"All that can wait." Toland interjected as they looked to the two small platforms at their sides. A Taken Knight spawned on each of them, beginning to fire away at them with their Boomers. Both Niko and Gale quickly barrel rolled into cover, switching to their snipers before they scoped in on the heads of each of the Knights. The Knights gave a roar of pain before they wavered out of existence.

Oryx seemed to mutter something before began to rotate around the edge of the room, coming to a stop at one of the lower platforms to their left.

"This is where it all begins, does everyone remember their roles?" Toland asked as the group scattered, leaving Tobias by himself.

"What's going on?" Tobias asked, clearly confused from the lack of direction.

"Obviously we didn't have a chance to fill you in Tobias. Toland, can you bring him up to speed?" Diana asked as she and Niko approached the platform that Oryx was looming over.

"I'm afraid I cannot. I'm heading over to the next dimension to guide you to the Brand." Toland pointed out before his figure of light faded away.

"Shoot. Carmen, just tell him where the third platform is." Diana hollered before the room shook. Oryx had just dropped his hand down onto the platform Niko and Diana were standing by, and the entire room quaked from just that.

"Tobias!" Carmen shouted, waving her hands to get his attention. She was already in the back of the room, standing on the center pathway. "Come back here!"

 _"Like I said before, killing Oryx is a long process, so listen closely. The first step is probably the most hectic. One of you must become torn between dimensions to retrieve the first half of the Brand. To do that, you teammates must construct a pathway for you but jumping onto the platforms in order. I can't stress that enough to you." Toland explained as the group journeyed through the dark cellar. "While this is taking place, Oryx will summon Ogres to steal your Light. Be warned, these are not the Ogres you all are accustomed to. Once you kill them, they will leave behind Corrupted Light. This is your means of killing Oryx."_

 _"Corrupted Light?" Niko repeated. He had never heard anyone mention anything like that before._

 _"Yes. Oryx had been collecting Light for centuries by using these Ogres. But if you kill them, all of the Light that they have consumed will be left behind in a densely packed Blight. You will be able to detonate it like a bomb. But you are not to detonate these by any circumstances unless I say so." Toland said sharply, surprising them. "I'm sure if you defeat his Ogres, Oryx will deem you a worthy threat, and attempt to kill you all using Doxology. In doing so he exposes his heart, and if we can detonate the bombs while he is in this state, we can kill him."_

 _"How do you know all of this?" Carmen asked him._

 _"I'm been studying Oryx for centuries. Passing through the Crossroads distorts my perception of time, so maybe even longer. But I've been waiting for the day when the Guardian's would arrive to kill the Taken King." Toland replied._

"So I just have to stand on it?" Tobias asked as he stood beside the third platform.

"Yeah, but only jump on when I give you the signal." Carmen said.

"Here we go!" Diana shouted as she leapt up, followed closely by Niko. As Diana landed on the platform, she stepped through the floating black sphere which quickly consumed her. Niko was a bit surprised to see Diana disappear all of a sudden, but his focus was then drawn to the Ogre that rose up from black water beside his platform.

Both Gale and Zeke were already firing at the Ogre, but with Niko's help they easily staggered the beast and which then succumbed to the amount of bullets being sprayed into it. Carmen then jumped onto her platform and then shouted for Tobias to do the same. Almost tentatively, Tobias jumped onto the platform, still unsure of what he should be doing, but it didn't take him long to realize that he could help by putting a few shots into the Ogre that had spawned by Carmen. Just as soon as the group killed that Ogre, another rose up by Tobias, but once again it was handily defeated by their focus fire.

"I'm back!" Diana shouted as she suddenly appeared high in the air, standing on a floating stone platform. And now she was glowing brilliantly as well. Diana then jumped down, cushioning her fall with a small Glide so that she landed softly before barrel rolling behind cover. Taken enemies were spawning all over the place, but Diana couldn't move from this location as a Hive Tombship parked at the edge of the throne room. The bottom of the ship lit up briefly, dropping off the enemy that Diana was targeting.

A special Hive Knight with a white Aura surrounding it. Stepping into this field just as soon as the Knight appeared, Diana then slapped the floor, stealing the Aura that the Knight had previously been holding. And now that she was in it, Diana couldn't believe that Toland was right. All of the enemies around her had turned to fire on her, but none of their attacks were affecting her. She was completely immune to everything. She didn't believe Toland when he said she couldn't be hurt while in possession of the Aura, but it was true!

 _"The Aura of Immortality is what will allow you to survive detonating the bombs." Toland pointed out._

 _"Are these things that powerful?" Niko inquired. For them to need immortality to survive, these things must have been very dangerous._

 _"This is the Light he has been gathering for over thousands of years, condensed into one sphere about the same size as you. That kind of power would kill you, and then kill you ten times over after you're already dead."_

 _"Are you serious?" Carmen exclaimed._

 _"Very."_

 _"So we just have to set off one of these bombs while Oryx's has his heart exposed and it's over." Niko concluded._

 _"No. Just one bomb is far from enough. I'm not certain exactly how many you'll need to detonate, but he summons four Ogres at a time, so you must do your best to utilize all of the bombs."_

"Everyone gather up!" Diana shouted as she arrived at the center of Oryx's throne room where Gale and Zeke had set up camp, gunning down the final Ogre.

"How are you managing Gale?" Zeke asked as he pelted the last Ogre with bullets from his auto rifle. Gale remained silent though as he switched to his Sleeper Simulant, charging up the weapon as it took aim, targeting the Ogre's face. There was a screech as the weapon fired, followed immediately by a roar of distress from the Ogre as it was vaporized from the blast.

"Does that answer your question?" Gale asked Zeke who was clearly shocked. He had seen Gale use it back at the gateway, but taking down a Hive Wizard didn't take too much firepower. But it took a ton of bullets for them to take down the first three Ogres, yet this weapon obliterated the fourth with just one shot.

"This is it now, Oryx is preparing Doxology!" Toland snapped at the group, getting everyone's attention. All of them focused on Oryx now as he spread out his wings with a shout, placing his hands in front of his chest which opened up, revealing a bright white light. "Pour all of the firepower you can into his chest. This will stagger him for just a moment for you to detonate the bombs!"

"Fire!" Diana shouted as they all raised their weapons, emptying their magazines into Oryx's chest.

"How do we know when we've staggered him?!" Carmen hollered before the screech of the Sleeper Simulant rang out. They all saw the red beam travel into Oryx's chest, getting a resounding roar of pain from him as he seemed to be knocked backward.

"Go! Detonate the bomb by the platform you were just on!" Toland shouted, although this was specifically for Tobias who wasn't as well informed as the rest of them.

"How do I do that?" Tobias asked as he sprinted toward the black sphere.

"You just have to stand in it. It will respond to the Light within you." Toland replied as Niko, Carmen, Tobias and Zeke all stepped into the Corrupted Light. Each of them looked up as the sphere rose above their head, flattening out into a disk that bathed them in a brilliant Light. "Now return to the Aura before they go off!"

And just like that, the team was back together in the center of the room within the protection of the Aura of Immortality. All of them glanced at the bombs momentarily, wondering what was going to take place, but then they were blinded. Everything was white for a few moments, and they could feel the room shaking violently beneath their feet. Finally their vision was restored, and they could see Oryx as he was knocked off the side of his throne room.

"Hell yeah!" Carmen hollered as she shook a fist at where Oryx had fallen off.

"Did we do it?" Tobias asked, amazed with how well it had gone.

"No, this is just the beginning." Toland said as Oryx reappeared, front and center, astonished that the Guardians had managed to injure him within the High War. He now understood what his Daughters had done. Toland was present in his throne room, instructing the Guardians on how to kill him. There was no other way they would be able to execute this so flawlessly.

"So what's next?" Diana asked as they readied their weapons.

"I don't know." Toland replied, surprising the group. "In all of the history I've studied, no one has survived Doxology."

Oryx suddenly leapt away from his throne room, taking a considerable distance from it. He then thrusted his hands forward at the Guardians who stood together.

"Gah!" They all screamed as a sudden shockwave hit erupted from the floor beneath them, sending them all tumbling in different directions. But as each of them tried to get back to their feet from the unexpected attack, they were by another shockwave that further separated them from each other. Toland watched on, trying to determine what was happening to see if he could find a solution to this.

Watching as Carmen was knocked over once again, she tumbled across the floor several feet before she came to a stop. But Toland quickly took note that the following shockwave appeared where Carmen had first hit the ground. It was following them, but there was a delay. Just enough for them to put some distance between themselves and the blast if they were in motion. The solution was running!

"Start moving! Do everything in your power to avoid these just once, and then keeping running!" Toland ordered them. Most of them had been struggling to recover from taking one of these hits, but when this news they grit their teeth and prepared for the next hit so that they could respond as quickly as possible. Despite being thrown backward once again, Diana, Carmen and Niko nimbly used their hands to catch themselves before they could hit the ground, using just this brief moment of balance to put themselves onto their feet.

Gale, Tobias and Zeke used a less refined tactic, deciding doing what they could to absorb the blow from the shockwave. This was still more than enough to knock them off the floor, but being prepared for the hit meant they could plan how they would land. Upon hitting the floor, the used the moment being hit to keep rolling, skipping over the next shockwave before quickly getting back onto their feet to get on the move before they could be hit by the following one.

All six of them were running like maniacs, jumping and skipping, doing whatever they had to-to avoid being hit by these shockwaves. And it worked out successfully. Oryx soon abandoned this attacking method seeing as they had quickly figured out how to avoid it. His only option was to attempt Doxology again to wipe them out.

"The process is starting over again." Toland pointed out as Oryx began to rotate around his throne room again, selecting a new platform as the starting point for Diana's mission.

"We dropped four bombs on him already, let's see how he likes four more!" Zeke shouted as he returned to the middle of the room, placing another Ward of Dawn down to use against the Ogres.

"Here we go!" Diana shouted as everyone took their places at the platforms they were assigned to. "It's just like last time!"

Diana jumped onto the first platform, glancing up at Oryx who seemed focused solely on her as she stepped into the black aura at the center of the platform. The entire world around her became monotone. Not an ounce of any other color could be spotted anywhere.

"This way Diana!" Toland called out to her as the floating platforms began to appear for her just like first time. Each of these platforms had a small spark of light on it, like the lights down a runway that guide in aircrafts. This was Toland leading her to the Brand that she would need to take the Aura of Immortality.

Leaping into the air, Diana effortlessly glided from one platform to the next, rising higher and higher into the air until she was looking down at the room. Her teammates were difficult to make out in this perspective. They were nothing but hazy black blurs, but they were the only ones who had a white aura surrounding them. Even though in her current state, Diana could still tell the Light from the Darkness.

Reaching the final platform with the largest spark of light, Diana took a hold of it, and immediately color was restored to her surroundings. She could hear her teammates barking out orders at each other, the constant gunfire. She was back!

"I've got it!" Diana shouted as she jumped down from the final floating platform, dropping down to the floor which she landed on softly thanks to Glide. From there she sprinted toward the front of the throne room where once again a Hive Tombship was had come to a stop to drop off the Vessel of Oryx.

"Fourth Ogre is down." Gale stated as the group gathered at the center of the room once again.

"Do you have another round for Oryx?" Zeke asked Gale, recalling that it was a shot from the Sleeper Simulant that allowed them to cross whatever damage threshold there was to stagger Oryx. They would need it in order to stagger him once again.

"No, I used up the last of it on the Ogres." Gale revealed.

"No wonder they went down so quickly." Niko noted.

"Do you have a synthesis to make some ammo for it?" Zeke inquired as they all turned to face Oryx.

"This is Golden Age tech, it'll take some time to synthesize ammo for it." Gale replied.

"We don't have that kind of time." Diana pointed out.

"Don't worry guys, I got this!" Carmen declared as her helmet changed right in front of them. Piercing eyes resembling that of a hawk, Carmen was now equipped with the Celestial Nighthawk. "I think you know what time it is."

Oryx spread his wings once again, placing his hands in front of his chest as he opened it once again in an attempt to kill off the Guardians.

"Golden Gun!" Carmen screamed as she raised her pistol, igniting it with fire. She then took aim and fired with no hesitation, her arm being thrown up into the air from the force of the shot as it exited her weapon. The searing flames flew straight into Oryx's chest, throwing him backward once again with just this one shot. The Guardians had successfully stopped him from using Doxology not once, but twice!

"Get to your bombs!" Diana shouted, reminding them off the main focus.

Once again, they successfully detonated four bombs, knocking Oryx off of the throne room a second time.

"Thanks for the cover Carmen." Gale said, seeming slightly bummed that he couldn't help on the second rotation. But upon looking at Carmen, he saw that she had raised a hand toward him.

"Please, you bailed our asses out the first time." She said, giving him a high five.

Tobias was in shock as he stared at his teammates as they celebrated detonating eight bombs so far. They were actually fighting Oryx to a standstill right now in his world! Tobias had feared the worst, expecting everyone to be killed on board the Dreadnaught as they attempted to rescue him. He never imagined them reaching Oryx's throne room, let alone them fighting the Taken King to this point. He had underestimated them greatly.

They didn't have the power that he had, yet they were all fighting so valiantly despite being so far from the Traveler.

 _"The Light of your Traveler won't reach you out here."_

Tobias disregarded that thought. Regardless of if he had the blessing of the Traveler or not, he was among people that were fighting for the same cause as him. He would see to it that they found success, one way or another.

"He's coming back!" Toland declared, bringing their small celebration to an abrupt end.

Oryx rose up at the front of his throne room again, this time clearly angered that the Guardians were actually finding success against him. He couldn't allow them to defeat him. He had brought them all the way in here to ensure that they wouldn't be able to fight at their full strength, yet they were overwhelming him! He couldn't accept this!

Outstretching one of his arms, Oryx summoned a large black sphere that shifted and spasmed as if it were alive.

"Your Light will perish here!" Oryx boomed at them.

"You don't scare me Oryx! You're nothing but a bi-" Carmen hollered before she was cut off. The team looked down for the Hunter, but she was nowhere in sight.

"Carmen?" Gale asked as he scanned the room in search of her. But she was gone.

"What happened?" Tobias began, but as he took a step forward everything changed. He was no longer standing in Oryx's throne room. He was standing an empty area, filled with haze. "Where am I?

"Yeah, I wanna know that to." Carmen said, surprising Tobias. It was just the two of them standing in this empty plain with a fog that grew dense a short distance from them. One by one the members of the raid team were dropped down into this empty area until all six of them were present, asking each other what was taking place outside.

"Nothing, Oryx was just kind of floating there before I was suddenly standing here with the rest of you." Gale explained since he was the last one to join them.

"This is making me nervous." Diana admitted.

"Are we trapped here?" Zeke asked, recalling his last mission within the Hive fortress.

"I can't get a reading on anything, but it's been that way since we stepped through the Rupture." Niko stated as he checked studied the interface within his helmet which had been of almost no use to him throughout this mission.

"Man, this sucks." Carmen mumbled before all of them with the exception of Gale felt a shiver run down their backs.

"Scatter!" Tobias shouted as he dove at Gale, sending both of them tumbling away. Everyone managed to put some distance between themselves and the shadow figure that came crashing down where they had all been previously standing.

"What's going on?!" Gale asked as he rose up from his back to get a look at their attacker.

"YOU!" Zeke roared as he sprung forward, cocking back one hand way back to throw a haymaker at their target. The muscles in his arms were tense, and his hand was balled up into such a tight fist that if it weren't for the gloves on his hands, his nails would have dug into his skin. Zeke could only see the man that stood at the center of the room.

Titus.

"Zeke, no!" Tobias screamed but it was already too late. Zeke lashed out at Titus, his hand becoming enveloped in a purple aura.

"Disintegrate!" Zeke declared as he aimed to finish Titus off with just one blow. He had a running start, so all of this momentum should allow him to put down Titus with just this single punch. But Zeke was shocked speechless when he was stopped dead in his tracks. Titus had raised one hand, effortless catching Zeke's fist and even diverting the energy blast from it away from himself. He didn't budge even an inch from the impact which had resounded through the empty plain.

"I see you haven't grown any stronger. That's a shame." Titus commented before all five of his fingers began to extend, traveling around Zeke's hand before rushing toward his chest, piercing through his chest in four different spots.

Zeke gasped, unable to believe that Titus had made such quick work of him.

"Gah!" Tobias groaned as he stood beside Zeke, his hand blocking off one of Titus' fingers, the one that had been aimed to skewer Zeke's Ghost right out of him.

"I knew you'd keep this interesting." Titus said as he stared at Tobias who was breathing deeply, trying to ignore the pain of having the palm of his hand stabbed by Titus. But his pain was likely nothing in comparison to Zeke who had four holes punched through his chest. Titus retracted his fingers and then back handed Tobias, sending him flying away. But he didn't anticipate that the remaining members of Undaunted would jump at him so fearlessly.

"Get him!" Niko shouted as he, Carmen and Diana attacked. Channeling Arc Light into his legs, Niko threw out a roundhouse kick at to knock Titus' head clean off his shoulders. Carmen pulled out a pair of her throwing knives which became lit with flames before she buried them into his back. And Diana slammed the palm of her hand into his abdomen, surrounding it with Void Light to sending rippling blast through Titus.

"What a shame. I might have actually felt those if not for all the power I've taken." Titus commented before he exhaled sharply, releasing a shockwave which blasted the three of them away from him. But all three of them adeptly landed on their feet, surprised with how resilient Titus was. Back on Earth they could at least hurt him, but this time they couldn't even leave a scratch on him. "I hope you all don't break too easily like the group I fought last time."

Zeke seemed to snap again as he snatched a pair of suppressor grenades from the belt around his waist. How could Titus talk about his teammates if they were so…insignificant!? Tossing both the grenades at him, Titus did just as Zeke thought he would. He didn't even move seeing the small explosives roll up to him, standing right over them before they blew up. Hopefully this would even the playing field between them as Zeke now charged at Titus, but he wasn't the only one who had been enraged by Titus' last comment.

Niko held his tanto blade out, his entire body becoming covered in a blue hue as electricity crackled around his weapon. As Zeke engaged Titus, Niko seemed to vanish as he went on the offensive as well.

"Freakin' sit still!" Zeke shouted as he swung wildly at Titus who continued to evade his attacks, using just some basic footwork to sidestep Zeke's full swings at him.

Carmen raised her hand cannon, taking aim at Titus as he moved around Zeke, but Diana quickly placed a hand on her weapon.

"Hold on." She stated, surprising Carmen.

"What for? He needs help."

"Wait for Niko. We're going to hit him with everything we've got right now."

Zeke gave another roar as he swung at Titus again, watching as his opponent swayed away from him with ease before putting some distance between them. Zeke had quickly spun on his heels while pulling out his auto rifle, spraying bullets at Titus.

"That's not fair, I'm not using a weapon." Titus noted as he sunk down to the floor to dodge the bullets. He was nothing more than shadow on the floor now as he rushed at Zeke who only received a few moments to react. By the time he started to backpedal, Titus was already in front of him, rising from the floor to grab a hold of the auto rifle that Zeke held. But just as he got his hands on the weapon, his arms were severed.

'Whoa.' Zeke exclaimed seeing Niko drop down in front him, chopping off Titus' arms to save him. Titus didn't take too kindly to this as his focused shifted to Niko. Thrusting his arms forward, they began to extend, replacing the limbs that he had lost almost instantly as he aimed to take a hold of Niko now. But a sudden weight on his arms stole his focus. It was Carmen.

"What the-" Titus began before he found himself staring down the barrel of Carmen's flaming pistol. She pulled the trigger, and everything turned red for Titus as he was sent stumbling backwards from the three of them with a scream of pain.

"Nice Carmen!" Gale shouted with a whoop. Hearing this, Titus looked up, revealing that the entire right side of his face has been burned away by the point blank Golden Gun shot that he had taken. But it was then that Titus saw with his remaining eye what was awaiting him next. Diana was floating in front him, her hand reared back with a swirling mass of Void Light surrounding it.

"Take this!" She shouted, hurling the Nova Bomb at him.

Tobias watched on beside Gale, his chest becoming hot as he watched them land a devastating combination on Titus who disappeared within Diana's Nova Bomb. This wasn't their battle. They all knew that they could die. They all knew that Tobias was an idiot for undertaking this mission by himself. Yet they were fighting for him. What was fueling their strength?

 _"My mom and sister told me that they'd be on the first ship back from the Reef, so I'm pumped to see them again." Carmen revealed to them happily._

 _"My family who was on board that station didn't fare so well. All of them were killed in the massacre." Diana stated scornfully._

 _"Maybe if we beat the Darkness we might achieve a second Golden Age…I'd love to see that." Niko admitted as he looked up thoughtfully._

He knew that they were all fighting for different reasons, but what made them so strong that they could fight way out here?

Glancing at Gale who stood beside him, even this little Exo was way out here on his behalf. He didn't have the blessing of the Light like the rest of them, yet he stood alongside them in this battle with Oryx. He didn't even have the Light…

Tobias took in a deep breath, shutting his eyes for a moment as he realized that he was just being weak. The Traveler had entrusted its power and will to him, and yet he still relied on its dormant body for strength. His strength didn't come from the Traveler. All of it was within him! It was given to him to make sure that all the sacrifices made up until this point weren't in vain. It was his duty now to end this struggle.

Inhaling once again, Tobias felt as though this was the first breath of air that he had taken in since coming to Saturn. He could feel the oxygen travel through his bloodstream, spreading warmth through him from the crown of his head to the tips of his toes. Every little bit of him was warm once again.

"Are you okay Tobias?" Gale asked as he placed a hand in front his eyes in an attempt to block the bright light that was being cast from Tobias.

"I feel…better than ever." Tobias said as the light surrounding him dimmed down, revealing that he was adorned in white once again, just like the first time he had fought Titus.

"Stinkin' show off." Niko noted as he glanced back at Tobias who was approaching them, clearly intent on rejoining the battle once again. But Titus responded immediately to Tobias finally entering his Radiant Form. The Darkness around them became heavy as the vortex from Diana's Nova Bomb was dashed to pieces, revealing Titus who had a black aura growing around him. The fog surrounding them darkened considerably as he pointed toward Tobias.

"I've grown stronger Tobias, I hope you and your friends are ready!" Titus proclaimed, but Tobias only shook his head in response.

"This isn't their fight. It's my duty to kill you, and I'll make sure that happens this time." Tobias stated as he raised one hand above his head, calling for the Light from within him. His hand became like a beacon of light as everyone around him was blinded.

Oryx stared at the dome of Darkness in front him, immediately taking note that a ray of light suddenly pierced through the top of it. But that was only the first of many until the dome burst, forcing Oryx to take some distance from it as he shielded his eyes from the light with one of his wings. To his surprise, Oryx found himself staring at the Guardians who had come to rescue Tobias. How could they have possibly escaped from Titus? None of them, not even Tobias should be powerful enough to defeat Titus while they were within the High War.

That didn't matter at this point. One of them, Tobias, was missing. There was no way the five of them would be able to handle his Ogres and steal the Aura of Immortality. It was only a matter of time before they started to fall.

A/N

I'm not sure if a lot of people are aware of this, but that spark of light that guides us around the Dreadnaught in game is actually Toland. So it's only fitting that he act as a guide for the raid team since they only have one shot at defeating Oryx.

That was always something I thought about while raiding actually. If all this were real we'd only have one shot at knocking out all of the bosses because a wipe means we failed and we're all dead, consumed by the Darkness. So obviously there has to be some kind of guidance to complete the mechanics and beat the bosses, or at least that's what I believe. King's Fall is the only raid that I believe we have someone guiding us directly in Toland.

The other raids though I'm not certain. You could argue that Eris acts as a guide for us in Crota's End considering she was the only survivor from the first team who had attempted to kill Crota. The Vault of Glass I would imagine that Kabr or Praedyth may contact us despite being lost in time, possibly through the Relic when we first fight the Templar. That's obviously a bit of a stretch considering that Praedyth was only able to contact us because the Vex _allowed_ him to. But I also know that the Relic was forged out of Kabr's Light, so its very possible that remnants of him might reside in it that could give us little bits of information to beat the Oracles, Templar and Atheon.

Wrath of the Machine is the only one I'm not sure of at all. I haven't really read up the lore about Rise of Iron yet so I might not be aware of it, but I don't think there's anything that could act as an informant to help us take down Aksis and destroy the Perfection Complex. Saladin and the other Iron Lords went into Site 6 so I don't think any of them have knowledge of the Perfection Complex to act as guides for us so I don't know who could lead us for this one. Any thoughts?

As always guys, thanks for the support and I'll see everyone at the next update. Until then, don't do anything I wouldn't do! ;)


	29. King's Fall : Shattered Crown

**Chapter 29**

* * *

Titus and Tobias stared at one another as they floated in dead space. Glancing over his shoulder for a moment, he could see Oryx's throne room out in the distance. Tobias still didn't quite understand how they had ended up all the way out here, but he knew that he wanted to fight Titus alone at the moment. And he was certain that his teammates could handle Oryx for the time being. They had done so much already, laying almost all of his doubts to rest. He would end Titus as quickly as he could, and return to them.

"I'm impressed. Oryx brought you all the way out here to make sure you could enter that form." Titus noted as he stared Tobias. "But I'm glad you managed to."

Tobias remained silent though as he stared at Titus, taking note of their contrasting colors. Titus was black, fading into the endless cosmos that surrounded them. Tobias on the other hand was shining radiantly, like a beacon in the depths of space.

"I'd like to test that power of yours." Titus said as opened up his hands, stretching out his finger as he called forth the power of the Darkness. He had been preparing for this moment from the time he left Earth.

He had just barely survived his last encounter with Tobias, and that battle made it very clear to Titus the disparity in power between them. Obtaining the Radiant Light had made Tobias more powerful than he had imagined. So much so that he didn't stand even the slightest chance against him last time they fought. But Titus knew that they would fight again. So he returned to the Dreadnaught and began his preparations.

He had studied the Sword Logic of the Hive thoroughly, concluding that his only hope of reaching Tobias' current level was to kill off the strongest of Oryx's subordinates to increase his own power. Titus had spent months using runes found within the Dreadnaught to call out some of Oryx's lieutenants through the Ruptures to become stronger. And this eventually led to him challenging the Taken Prince Malok who he defeated. All this so that he could stand before Tobias once again.

Tobias was breathing slowly as he studied Titus. There was a considerable distance between them currently, but Tobias could still feel the pressure that was being exerted from his foe. The Darkness flowing forth from Titus made him seem…omnipotent. And it was clearly that he felt that way as well as his helmet receded, revealing his smiling face.

"This is…incredible. I've never called out so much of it before." Titus said as his entire body became engulfed in a black aura. Even his eyes became black. Then he burst forward, closing the distance between them almost instantly.

Tobias wasn't surprised by his sudden movement, evading the flurry of blows that Titus unleashed once he was close. Titus was stronger, faster and probably more vicious than last time, and yet, Tobias was at ease.

To him, it was like Titus was moving in slow motion. He could read his every move before he even made it. And floating in space, Tobias was lighter than a feather. Using the Warlock Glide, he could move in any direction he wanted. It was like he had a pair of wings. Why was this so easy?

 _'Because you've resolved in your heart now to defeat the Darkness.'_ The Traveler said suddenly, surprising Tobias. It was the first time it had spoken to him since he had boarded the Dreadnaught.

'What do you mean? I've been fighting the Darkness for who knows how long. Why would I be getting that resolve now?' Tobias asked curiously as he effortlessly dodged Titus' next attack before Blinking away from him.

 _'No, it's different this time Tobias. As Tobias the Guardian, you've declared that you would defeat the Darkness. But now as the embodiment of the Light, you've resolved to see to it that this conflict is brought to an end.'_

'Are you saying that…I'm like you now?'

'Yes Tobias. I believe it's safe to say that you've successfully taken up the role, as the Vessel of the Light.'

'Wow.' Tobias said to himself, a small smile growing on his face. This subject had been weighing on his mind for quite some time, but hearing directly from the Traveler put this thought to rest. He was now the Vessel of the Light. And he would end this war between the Light and the Darkness.

Titus' eyes seemed to widen as Tobias finally caught one of his punches rather than dodge it, halting his assault with just the grip he had on Titus' hand. It was then that Titus could feel Tobias' power surge forth once again. He was still getting stronger! The Light from Tobias seemed to trace a path that was projected from his back, matching the artwork on his skin beneath his clothing. Staring up at the image behind Tobias now, Titus knew for certain now that Tobias was now the Vessel of the Light.

Looking at Titus, Tobias then reeled his other hand back, throwing out a full swing at Titus who couldn't break free from his grip. Titus gasped as he was hit, being sent spiraling away from Tobias. Everything had gone numb from just this one hit he had received. But how? He had become so much stronger and yet, the gap was this massive? No! That couldn't be!

Titus caught himself so that he was facing upright, ready to reengage Tobias, but the Guardian was already in front him. Titus drew in a sharp breath before he was kneed in the stomach, a shockwave being released from his body from the blow that left him hunched over. Tobias then followed up with an uppercut to his unguarded chin, but he grabbed Titus' robes before he could be sent flying away from the hit. Pulling him back toward him, Tobias slammed his palm into Titus' chest, causing his opponent to begin to tremble as Tobias began to channel Void Light through his body.

At the exact same time, Tobias heard a thunderous clap sound from the throne room. Tobias glanced back at the room in the distance where he could see the massive shockwaves of Corrupted Light traveling outward toward them.

 _'Fear not. In this form it won't harm you.'_ The Traveler revealed to him. Tobias didn't respond though as he returned his gaze to Titus, but his eyes became wide as he stared at his opponent with the shockwaves of Corrupted Light passing over them.

Titus' eyes which had been completely black became like that of a human's. His sclera was white again and his iris had become a deep hazel color. But this was only for a moment as these features were swallowed up within the Darkness once again. Titus' eyes became black as he grabbed on Tobias' wrist now, but just touching Tobias burned his hands.

"Ah, damn it!" Titus shouted as he ripped himself free of Tobias' grip and put some distance between them.

Tobias though was confused as he stared at Titus. In all of their encounters, Tobias had seen his eyes many times. But never had he looked into his eyes and saw another human. What just happened there?

* * *

"Is everyone alright?" Niko asked as the group rested behind the cover of one of the taller center columns to rest for a moment.

The third rotation was by far the worst one. Everything that could've gone wrong went wrong at the same time. Tobias had disappeared along with Titus before they returned to the throne room, so Zeke had to take over Tobias' platform duty. This wasn't too bad even with the Taken Acolytes and Knights that Oryx had summoned to bombard them. The real problem was the Ogres.

Gale was nervous now. He had been alone in the middle doing everything in his power to gun down the Ogres. If it wasn't for the help he had received from each of his teammates on their platforms, things would definitely have gotten a lot worse. The final Ogre had gotten loose while Gale was still dealing with the third, leaving him with just one option to take care of it before it could kill any of them. He had to use his Sleeper Simulant. With one shot the Ogre was dead thankfully, but Gale had to keep a close eye on how much ammunition he had for this weapon since they were all relying on it to stagger Oryx.

Even though they were down one man, they managed to take care of all of the Ogres and steal the Aura of Immortality again, reaching the point where they had to stagger Oryx. This too went according to plan, but after detonating the bombs, Toland quickly took note that one bomb did not go off. The bomb that Gale had gone to.

And it was then that they realized he couldn't detonate any of the bombs.

"He doesn't have the Light within him." Toland stated before cursing under his breath. He couldn't believe that he had failed to notice such a detail beforehand.

"I'm sorry guys." Gale said once again, but Niko slapped him on the shoulder in response.

"Don't apologize. No one's at fault here. Just rest and get ready." Niko stated as he peeked out to check on Oryx. He was still floating at the end of the room, clutching his chest. Obviously he was in pain from being hit by so much Corrupted Light. "We know we're winning. Big ugly over there can't take too many more hits."

"Diana, on the next rotation, you must detonate the fourth bomb rather than Gale." Toland pointed out, getting a nod from the Warlock.

"How are you holding up?" Carmen asked as she kneeled down beside Zeke. He was seated, leaning against the wall taking in steady breaths. The wounds he had received from Titus weren't closing up, and it was becoming more difficult for him to move on his own.

"I'm fine. The sooner we kill that bastard the better." Zeke replied as he reloaded his auto rifle in preparation for the rotation.

"Will you be able to give Gale a bubble this time? Weapons of Light will go a long way for him." Niko asked as he looked at the Titan.

"I'm trying to focus on my recovery right now, so the next Ward of Dawn I place will likely be the last one. It's up to him if he wants it now or not." Zeke said as he set his gaze on the small Exo who looked down in thought.

With Weapon of Light he could surely handle all of the Ogres this rotation, and hopefully this would be the last one. But even if they had to do another rotation, he had seven shots in his Sleeper Simulant currently. That would be enough to handle the Ogres without a Ward of Dawn. But if they didn't end it there…

"How's everyone on ammo?" Gale asked as he looked around at them.

"I'm low." Carmen revealed.

"Same." Diana added.

"Got about three magazines left." Zeke stated.

"I haven't got much either." Niko said, causing Gale to sigh.

"Alright, I'll need your bubble now then. You just leave the Ogres to me and focus on picking off the small enemies. Be conservative though, because I need some firepower from you guys to stagger him." Gale explained to them. They all gave a nod in agreement before checking their weapons once more.

One thing that none of them had anticipated was how much ammo they would need for this encounter. They never would've imagined that these Ogres would be so resilient, or that there would be so many enemies hounding them. This lack of ammunition was beginning to rear its ugly head as this extended fight continued.

"Oryx is moving again." Toland warned them as Oryx stretched out his wings once again before he began to rotate around the throne room again.

"Here we go." Zeke said as he forced himself back up to his feet.

* * *

Tobias had no clue what to do as he stared Titus who was writhing in pain, clutching his chest. He had been like this since the third set of bombs had gone off in the throne room. As much as Tobias wanted to finish him off with this huge opportunity, but something inside of him was making him hesitate. Seeing Titus' eyes made for just the one moment made Tobias doubt everything he had come to accept about Titus.

Titus was the enemy. He had led Oryx's forces on Earth. He wiped out a raid team of Guardians beneath the Hive fortress. And yet…

 _"I'm you." Titus proclaimed to Tobias._

 _"I was you before I was Taken."_

 _"I have the same desires, goals…dreams."_

Tobias refused to believe that at first. Every ounce of Titus was just oozing Darkness. It was absolutely impossible for him to be a Guardian, let alone some kind of copy of Tobias. But then as the wave of Corrupted Light passed over him, Tobias couldn't deny that there was an indeed a human underneath that skin of Darkness.

But how was this possible? Was he previously a Guardian that was lost and then reborn in the Darkness? Could such a thing even exist?

'Traveler, what do you feel about him?' Tobias asked, hoping that the wisdom of the Traveler could shed some light on this.

 _'There is no Light within him. I can't sense even the slightest ray.'_ The Traveler replied, causing Tobias' heart to drop.

Even the Traveler couldn't see any Light within Titus, so why did Tobias feel so uneasy about this?!

 _'There isn't any time to waste Tobias, we need to aid your teammates we well.'_ The Traveler added, getting a slow nod from Tobias as he raised one hand. The Light began to gather in the palm of his hand, becoming the handle of a blade as Tobias summoned his sword of light once again. Titus had barely escaped last time, but Tobias wouldn't let that happen again. This time Titus was going to die.

As the weapon was finished forming in his hand, Tobias raised it and took aim at Titus, planning to skewer Titus a second time. And this time he would make sure that Titus wouldn't be able to come back. Once again though, there was a reverberant boom from the throne room as another set of bombs was detonated. As the wave of Corrupted Light advanced out from the throne room, Tobias burst forward, charging toward Titus who was still hunched over in pain. Approaching Titus, the Corrupted Light hit him first, causing his head to snap upward as the Darkness vanished from eyes once again.

They were back. Hazel eyes that Tobias could see his reflection in. Tobias came to a stop, the tip of his blade just millimeters from Titus' forehead. But his eyes weren't the only thing that seemed to become human. The Darkness began to recede from his skin, revealing his dark skin and a face that was identical to Tobias'.

'What?!' The Traveler exclaimed within Tobias as he stared at Titus. There was no mistaking it now. This man was indeed a copy of Tobias. The Darkness which had coated him had been the source of their doubts, but it was gone now, and there was no denying it.

"Who are you?" Tobias demanded as Titus' vision became focused on him. Then the panic seemed to set in as he backed away from Tobias.

"I remember." He almost whispered, but Tobias still managed to hear this.

"You remember what?" Tobias asked as he slowly advanced toward Titus, keeping his weapon raised and ready.

"I can't explain everything right now, but…Oryx was controlling me." Titus replied as he stared at Tobias.

"And how do I know he's not still controlling you?"

"I don't really know how this to prove it to you. But Oryx is weak right now, incredibly weak, so his grip on me is loose. I'm not under his control at the moment." Titus replied, raising his hands in his defense. But Tobias only tightened his hold on the handle of his sword, slowly edging closer to Titus.

"You've hurt too many people for me to take your word for this." Tobias said as he steeled his resolve. He had hesitated enough. Titus had been a foe since they had first met, and his actions up until this point have been centered around completing Oryx's will. He couldn't allow such a person to live.

"Please!" Titus shouted at him, looking at Tobias with wide eyes. "You don't understand what's going on right now."

"Then explain yourself!" Tobias shouted at him in return.

"I…I can't at the moment."

"So then how can I trust you?!"

"Look, there's more to this than just Oryx right now. But I can't go into the details."

"That's not good enough!" Tobias declared as he readied his sword. But Titus' eyes remained undeterred by this.

"Fine then, go ahead. Kill me!" He yelled at Tobias who was taken aback by this. His eyes were genuine. He had resolved in his heart to complete a task. And Tobias could bear to drive his sword through a man with eyes like that.

"If I kill Oryx, will you be free of his control for good." Tobias asked him in a hushed tone.

"Most likely."

"I want a straight answer. Yes or no."

"…Yes."

Tobias waited a moment, studying every part of his eyes. Titus kept his gaze set firmly on Tobias, his eyes steadfast. Tobias couldn't believe that he was about to do this, but he lowered his sword.

"Thank you, you won't regret this." Titus said to him.

"I'm taking your word for it this time." Tobias declared as he pointed at Titus with his sword. "But if you betray me, I will find you. And end you."

"Hurry to your friends now. They need you if you all want to succeed against Oryx." Titus said to him. Tobias turned away from him, setting his sights on the throne room. He could see Oryx as raised his hand and smashed it down onto one of the lower platforms which marked the moment when they would have to stagger him.

* * *

Gale's Sleeper Simulant screeched as he vaporized the fourth Ogre, earning a shout of praise from Niko who had finally seen Gale use this weapon on the Ogres himself. They had reached the fifth rotation and despite their struggles, they were still holding their own. Gale had taken care of the Ogres with ease thanks to the Sleeper Simulant, and Diana had once again claimed the Aura of Immortality.

"Round up everyone!" Diana called out as everyone jumped down from their platforms, dashing to middle of the room where Diana had stationed herself.

"Gale, you should have two shots left in that thing, right?" Niko asked him as they watched Oryx raise his hand above the platform he was looming over.

"Yeah, thanks to you." Gale noted as he thought back to the fourth rotation.

 _"Gale, don't shoot your weapon!" Niko commanded, surprising Gale as they prepared to stagger Oryx during the fourth rotation._

 _"Why not?" Gale demanded to know._

 _"Save it for the next round. You never know what could happen." Niko said as his helmet changed. He had donned the Celestial Nighthawk just like Carmen had earlier, and it became clear to Gale what Niko was about to do._

 _"Aww snap, here we go!" Carmen shouted as Niko summoned the gray pistol into his hand before pouring Solar Light into it. It became engulfed in flames as he raised the weapon, taking aim at Oryx as his chest opened up._

Thanks to Niko, Gale had just enough ammo in his Sleep Simulant to stagger Oryx one last time.

"Good, because we've got absolutely nothing." Niko stated, reminding all of them that they didn't have a single bullet left for Oryx. They had burned through what syntheses they had brought during the third and fourth rotation, and now they were gambling on this last set of bombs being the kill blow to beat the Taken King. If this fight continued beyond this point, they had nothing to stagger Oryx. They didn't even have anything to fight the Ogres.

All of them had exhausted almost all of their abilities, and with Diana crossing between dimensions to steal the Brand, she hadn't been much help beyond the task she had been handling. This was their final gamble.

"Take him down for us Gale!" Carmen and Niko shouted as Gale took aim with his Sleeper. Oryx gave a shout as his chest opened up once again, preparing Doxology. Gale fired once, watching as the red beam disappeared into Oryx's chest, but Oryx continued to prepare his attack as the light from his chest began to shine brightly. Gale would have to fire twice since had no assistance on this stagger.

The second shot hit its mark as well, and Oryx howled in pain as he was knocked backward.

"To your bombs!" Toland barked at them as everyone but Gale darted out to the spheres of Corrupted Light. As the sphere lit up, rising in their air, they all returned to the back, sliding into the protective field around Diana just as the bombs started to go off. As these bombs went off, they team of five cheered wildly as Oryx was knocked off from his throne for the fifth time now. They could only hope that this was the end of the fight.

They had a few moments to breathe now as they looked around. All the other times Oryx had come back almost as soon as he had been knocked off. But this time he didn't come back. What it over?

"I think we did." Carmen said softly. "We did it!"

"Thanks to this guy!" Niko said as he gave Gale a slap on the back.

"No Guardians, not yet!" Toland hollered over their cheers as Oryx rose back up at the center of the throne room. All of them seemed to freeze in place as they looked up at Oryx, unable to believe that he had risen back up. That last stagger was their all or nothing. It was over for them.

Oryx placed his hands in front of his chest which opened up one final time, revealing his heart as he called upon the Darkness to use Doxology.

"It's…over." Diana said softly. None of them had a thing to use to try to stagger him.

"Damn it!" Carmen screamed as she threw her hand cannon to the floor. How could this happen!?

"It was a pleasure working with you guys." Zeke said to them as the light from Oryx grew bright, beginning to blind them. "Hopefully we'll see each other again one day."

The light from Oryx had become so bright that none of them were able to see a figure come crashing down onto the small ledge directly in front of Oryx, giving one last shout before the light consumed all of them.

 _Nothing._

 _The null._

 _Oblivion._

Everything was white. Were they dead?

Niko looked to his left, spotting Gale, Carmen, Zeke and Diana standing beside him. All of them were frozen, staring out in the distance. But there was nothing there.

Niko snorted lightly. They really were dead. This was likely the last thing he was going to see. His teammates who had fought beside him to the end. He never would've thought that they'd actually die though.

He had gotten used to bringing his allies back through their Ghosts. He had gotten used to coming back all the time as well. But this time, they didn't have that option. It was do or die fighting Oryx…and they had died.

'Damn man.'

Was it really over for all of them? Just like that? What a lame way to go out! They didn't even go down fighting. They had no ammo to shoot back. They had nothing to fight with…they just had to sit here and die so helplessly!

"Damn man!" Niko shouted as he stomped his foot.

They weren't as invincible as he had thought.

Niko looked down at his boots, realizing now that he had to accept his fate, whether he wanted to or not, it was over.

But the light began to fade away as his surroundings returned. He was staring at the golden pathway that traveled through the center of Oryx's throne room.

"Oh my god!" Carmen screamed slowly as Niko's head snapped upward. They were moving again! He then looked out ahead of them where he could see Tobias standing on the ledge at the front of the throne room, a flaming pistol in his hand. A blackened corpse was floating off into the distance, frozen with its hands in front of its chest, locked to the last position it had taken. It was Oryx.

"Tobias!" Diana screamed as everything seemed to slow down once more. In slow motion he turned his head to look over his shoulder at them. Then he turned his who body, raising his arms triumphantly as he dropped the pistol to the ground.

Slowly he began to walk toward them, and he was greeted by Carmen, Gale and Diana who tackled him to the ground with screams of joy.

 **Earth**

 **Neo Chicago**

 **The Mulligan**

"We did it! We did it!" Carmen screamed over the comms which was being broadcast around the base. It had been days since the raid team had ventured into the Ascendant Realm. Days since anyone had heard a word from them. The Vanguard was beginning to think that they had been lost to the Taken King before the channel for the raid team was finally reestablished. "We freakin' killed his ass!"

Operators and Commanders alike began to celebrate wildly, throwing up their headsets and shouting praises for the Guardians as this message was relayed around the base. They had defeated Oryx the Taken King! And if this wasn't enough, a visual was transmitted to them, showing everyone Oryx's corpse as it floated off toward Saturn. They had really done it!

"Come in raid team." Zavala said, unable to stop a smile from forming on his face as his chest swelled with pride. "Oryx's defeat has been confirmed. We're waiting for you back home."

 **Saturn**

 **The High War**

 **Threshold**

Ir Halak and Ir Anuk watched as their father's corpse floated off aimlessly, impressed that the Guardians had succeeded in defeating Oryx. In fact, they were amazed that such tiny beings were so powerful. But now wasn't the time to sit and marvel at their power.

"It's almost time to begin the next phase of the plan." Ir Halak noted, receiving a nod from her sister.

"She will be most pleased by the success of the Children of the Light." Ir Anuk added as the two of them became shrouded in Darkness before disappearing. But they weren't the only ones who were pleased to see the fall of the Taken King.

Slowly approaching the corpse of Oryx, Titus couldn't help but gasp in awe at just how big Oryx was. This was the closest he had ever been to Oryx in his full size. Landing on Oryx's chest, Titus immediately spotted the black mass that was still moving within. His heart was still beating. Without a second thought though, Titus buried his arm into this mass, reaching in as deeply as he could until he got his hand around the core. It was the same size as the palm of his hand, making it easy for him to rip it right out of the large mass.

Oryx's heart finally stopped beating as Titus looked down at the black sphere he held now.

The Ravenous Heart.

'I remember now.' Titus said to himself.

 _A female Exo stood before him, her face hidden underneath the shadow cast by the hood of her cloak. But her glowing eyes could still be seen through the veil as she studied him._

 _"Who –Who are you?" He asked as he looked around, noticing that they were actually floating in midair, passing through a tunnel that seemed to spiral around him._

 _"I haven't got much time to tell you everything. But what you need to know is your objective." She replied._

 _"My objective?" He repeated, furrowing his brow._

 _"You are going to meet a man named Tobias. Your only purpose is to test him." She stated. "Push him past his limits, no matter the cost."_

Titus blinked as he stared down at the Ravenous Heart he held. He had to push Tobias past his limits. No matter the cost.

If Tobias failed to reach new heights, then he would have to take matters into his own hands. He couldn't fail to defeat the man in white a second time.

* * *

A/N

And BAM! The Taken King is dead! Phew was that a blast to write and I hope you all enjoyed. But there's still so much going that I can't wait to get to.

I'm sure some of you might be thinking that I'm going to head into RoI next, but this chapter probably put that thought to rest. I won't be doing anything related to the Iron Lords for the time being. My roadmap involves more Hive, with a sprinkle of some _other_ things hehe.

In response to 'This Is Sarcasm'. The moment I read Variks I face palmed because I completely forgot about him. I could definitely see him functioning as a guide since he isn't loyal to any Fallen Kells. In fact, with some people thinking Variks might be the Kell of Kells or preparing to take on that role, it makes sense for him to remove an Archon like Aksis. If Variks were trying to establish himself in such a position, he definitely doesn't need Aksis preaching about SIVA to the other Fallen Houses.

And I know I'm late to the party, but the AGE OF TRIUMPH is upon us!

If feels like every time I'm getting close to taking an extended break from Destiny, they reel me right back in. My favorite armor set ( VoG Warlock ) is back, so I'm going to be rocking that full time again! I can't wait for that! And best of luck with all your future raids Guardians, I know I'll need it.

In conclusion ( my A/N's have been lengthy lately ), I hope you all enjoyed my rendition of The Taken King. The next chapter is the full wrap up for this arc so keep and eye out for it, and after that things are going to pick up once again. Thanks again for all your support everyone!


	30. A Hero's Return

**Chapter 30**

* * *

 **The High War**

 **Threshold**

Niko blinked, and then he blinked again, slower this time. He wasn't certain if he could trust what he was seeing right now. Was this or dream, or reality?

They had come so close to defeating Oryx, but they had come up short right at the end. The Taken King had prevailed as he finally succeeding in casting Doxology onto them. Everything had turned white, he was positive that they were dead. And yet, he was staring at his teammates as they celebrated their victory over Oryx.

Tobias was back on his feet now, although Carmen and Gale were still attached to him as they asked him how he managed to come to their rescue. But Zeke shut down all of their questions as he stepped up to Tobias, grabbed a hold of the collar of his robes and placed an accusing finger on his chest.

"You told me he was dead." Zeke said angrily. "You said that you killed him, so why was he here waiting for us?!"

"What are you talking about?" Gale asked.

"Just stay out this!" Zeke snapped at him before focusing on Tobias.

"Zeke, I really don't know what to say to you. You saw what I did to him when were on Earth." Tobias said to him.

"Yeah, Tobias wrecked that dude last time." Carmen added.

"We all thought he was dead. We were just as surprised as you were." Diana said, trying to calm down Zeke who hadn't loosened his grip on Tobias' clothing.

"Did you kill him this time?" Zeke asked, unable to drop the subject. Titus was responsible for the death of his teammates. Zeke had taken up this mission to kill Oryx to avenge his comrades, but he never expected to run into their killer here. He wanted nothing more than see that man…no, that being dead.

"I…don't even know how to take his life. I hit him with everything I had last time." Tobias responded. It was obviously a bad idea to reveal that he had let Titus go.

"I don't care about that. What did you do this time?" Zeke pressed. He had to know. He had tried everything he could both times to kill Titus and he was overwhelmed both times. He could only trust in Tobias to avenge Sheryl and Axel. Tobias sighed deeply as he realized what he would have to do.

"I did what I could. I cut him down until there was nothing left." Tobias stated, giving Zeke a moment take that in. "I'm not certain if I killed him, but there was nothing left when I was finished."

Zeke remained silent though as he looked past Tobias now, eyeing the corpse of Oryx which was now a considerable distance from them. For something that was so large when they fought, the Taken King looked so small now. He was dead, thanks to Tobias. And Titus was gone as well.

"Thank you." Zeke said in a low voice before turning away from, beginning to walk down the center lane of the room with his head lowered. Fortunately none of them could see his face thanks to his helmet, preventing them from seeing the tears that were running down his cheeks.

He could recall the day he Sheryl and Axel had agreed to form fireteam Salamander. The three of them stood in a circle, piling their hands on top of each other's as they made a vow to one day surpass Undaunted and be remembered as the greatest fireteam of all time. He could recall the expressions they wore at that exact moment. The almost cheeky grin Axel wore which look odd at first glance since his mechanical jaw hung sideways to create that grin. Sheryl wore a confident smirk, the most she was willing to show them at the time since they were still getting to know each other. And Zeke was positive that he was smiling ear to ear at them, eager to start working side by side with his new teammates.

'Rest my friends, your battle is over now.' Zeke said softly as he passed Niko, bumping into his shoulder which finally snapped the Hunter out of his daze.

"Ha…" Niko took a deep breath. He wasn't dreaming! "HA-HAAA!"

Niko came running at Tobias who braced himself as Niko jumped into him. Tobias managed to remain on his feet this time as Niko landed, throwing a fist in the air before he gave Tobias a shove. Niko was on cloud nine at the moment.

 **Hall of Souls**

The Rupture sounded as it opened up, immediately drawing the attention of the few Guardians that had been assigned to watch over this area. It was just one team of six, who anxiously gathered around the portal, waiting to see who had returned.

The news had already been shared with the Guardians on board the Dreadnaught. The Taken King was dead, which meant the Guardians had free reign now. Clear out the ship. Anything that moves was to be eliminated!

The fate of the raid team that had gone into the Rupture was yet to be determined though. So they could only hope that Undaunted had returned with all its members.

Carmen was the first person to step through the portal, and she turned back immediately, waiting for the others to come through as well. Zeke followed her out next, along with Gale. Then Niko and Tobias. And finally Diana. Everyone had made it back!

"You made it!" The Guardians exclaimed as they hounded the six of them, asking them questions about what was on the other side of the Rupture. They asked Tobias how he fared being in there so long, and if Oryx had tortured him. They wanted to know everything, but Zeke put their little interrogation to an end.

"What's the order from Commander Zavala?" Zeke asked them.

"They're launching a full scale attack on the Dreadnaught now. The Red Jacks are on route and the rest of us have already started to push into the levels above and below this area." They explained.

"Alright then, you heard the order." Niko said as he drew his hand cannon.

"Those orders don't apply to you guys." The Guardians said as they cut off Niko.

"Your ship is waiting for you in the transmat zone where we landed. You all are heading back to Earth."

* * *

Undaunted along with Zeke were all seated in the main chamber of Diana's ship as it reached light speed, beginning their return trip to Earth with Diana's Ghost acting as the pilot. With the exception of Zeke, all eyes were on Tobias.

"Is there any reason you're all staring at me?" Tobias asked, slightly unnerved that his teammates had been looking at him so intently since they had boarded the ship.

Diana looked toward Carmen, giving her a small nod. Carmen did the same to Niko, who did it to Gale as if they were sending some kind of message to each other without saying a word.

"Tobias, you got some splainin' to do~" Carmen said as they all looked at him once again.

"What?" Tobias asked with a bit of snort.

"We want to know what made you think you could go on to the Dreadnaught without us." Diana explained with a stoic expression, as Zeke now looked toward Tobias as well. This was something that had crossed his mind as well.

"Yeah, not cool." Gale added as Tobias looked down, unable to make eye contact with them as he gathered his thoughts.

"And don't say any crap like you didn't think we were strong enough. You've been our teammate for months now so you know we can hold our own." Niko stated, watching as Tobias furrowed his brow.

"It's…nothing like that. Or rather, it's not that I didn't think you guys are strong enough…but I didn't want to lose anyone else." Tobias explained as he took a small glance at Zeke who was last person he expected to see on the Dreadnaught.

Ever since Tobias had gained that new form fighting Titus the first time, she had noticed that he was beginning to act different. He began to doubt the strength of his teammates and allies. Before that mission, Diana could tell that Tobias had always been unsure of his strength. But she could assume that when he saw how wide the gap was between himself and everyone else as they fought Titus that-that was when this doubt started to take shape. And it only grew as Guardians fell fighting the Taken back on Earth.

"So what made you think it was good idea to try to take on Oryx by yourself then?" Diana asked him, giving him a hard stare.

"You could've been killed in there before any of us even got the Dreadnaught." Niko pointed out.

"It's like I just said, I didn't want to lose anyone. We lost a lot of people fighting the Taken, and I didn't want anyone else to be another one of Oryx's victims." Tobias replied as he met their gaze now.

"So that gives you the right to just blow off your team and get killed by yourself?!" Diana snapped at him uncharacteristically. "You said it yourself, we're a team, and we stick together. Do or die, we're together!"

Everyone was a bit startled from Diana's outburst, remaining silent as she took a few deep breaths.

"Promise me." Diana said to him, leaving Tobias confused.

"What?"

"Promise me that you won't do anything so selfish again." She stated, her cheeks tinted purple as she tried to calm down.

Tobias raised his eyebrows at this. Someone else had called him selfish recently too.

 _"Don't you think you're being a bit selfish Tobias?"_

That therapist or psychologist…whatever she was. She had said he was being selfish as well. That he was trying to do everything on his own. And he was; he couldn't deny that.

 _"We're a team Tobias. There's no reason to throw yourself at the enemy, by yourself. We stick together."_

That was one of the last things he heard Briggs-6 say. Sighing inwardly, Tobias glanced at Carmen and immediately thought back to their small exchange back on the Forgotten Shore.

 _"…The biggest thing I learned is that in this team, we always look out for each other."_

He had said that himself, to Carmen. And that was exactly what he was trying to do.

"All I'm trying to do is protect everyone." Tobias said, trying to justify his stance.

"There's better ways than trying to carry the burden by yourself." Diana said to him as their gaze met once again. "There's a reason Guardians work together. Even though our hearts don't beat anymore, it still desires companions."

Tobias seemed to raise his head at this, straightening up in his seat.

"I know firsthand what it feels like to lose someone I care about. We all know that it hurts Tobias. But you can't bottle things up or else you'll end up doing something stupid." Diana explained to him. "I know that firsthand too."

She had challenged Skolas by herself and received a thrashing at the hands of the Kell.

"You know what, you're right Diana. I did do something stupid." Tobias said as he compared his actions to Diana's.

She had gone out to avenge the loved ones she had lost to the Wolves, challenging Skolas by herself. Tobias was trying to make sure the people he cared about didn't become involved in a direct confrontation with Oryx, so he tried to kill the Taken King by himself. Diana was right, and if Oryx hadn't been trying to use him as bait to draw out all of the Guardians, he would have surely been put to death.

Tobias shook his head though as he looked around at them.

"I give you my word." Tobias stated, although his chest became tight as he found himself falling into a bad habit of lying to those around him. First to Zeke, and now to Diana. He was certain now that he was beginning to walk down his own path. There was something that he still had to settle alone.

 _"You won't regret this." Titus said to him before they parted ways._

Tobias could still recall that just before he had beaten Titus the first time, the man had told him that their fated showdown still hadn't taken place. Tobias couldn't shake this thought. He would have to fight Titus again at some point. He just knew it.

That dream he had-had during his first Stormcaller meditation on Venus was a warning. That Exo had told Tobias of a threat that was waiting for him in the Moon. He knew now that-that threat was Titus. And the Exo told him that Titus was greater than Oryx.

No matter how much they insisted, Tobias couldn't let them get involved with Titus.

 _'You shouldn't underestimate your allies like that Tobias.'_ The Traveler said to him. _'They've already proven themselves pushing Oryx to his very limit. Without them you wouldn't have prevailed against Oryx.'_

'I…I want to believe them. I really do. But I don't have even the slightest idea what's going to happen going forward, and I'll be damned if I lose any of them.' Tobias said sternly.

 **Earth**

 **Neo Chicago**

 **The Mulligan**

Niko yawned audibly as he led his teammates down into the Hall of Guardians. It wasn't until they all got comfortable in their seats on the ride back that they realized just how tired they were. Fighting Oryx within the Dreadnaught had taken a greater toll on them than they had imagined. Most of them had gotten in a quick nap on the ride back, being awakened by their Ghosts as the ship landed in the air field before ushering them out of the ship.

"Man, I could really use another nap." Carmen muttered as she rubbed one of her eyes with her palm, fighting the urge to drop to the floor and go back to sleep.

Fortunately for the gang of sleepy Guardians, the audience waiting for them in the Hall of Guardians erupted with applause as they entered; blowing away any drowsiness they were suffering from. The entire hall was filled with all sorts of people, operators, maintenance workers, and even the faction representatives and some of their subordinates.

"Whoa, what's all this?" Gale asked as Executor Hideo approached them with a small smile. He bowed to them slowly before motioning for them to follow him. Leading them down into the room where that acted as the headquarters of the Vanguard, the raid team could see that all of the various figureheads that gathered in times of great distress. But for once they were together for a happy occasion.

"Ha-ha!" Shaxx yelled triumphantly upon spotting the team. "The slayers of Oryx!"

The crowd responded with a cheer at this declaration. Carmen, Gale and Niko wasted no time accepting this applause, waving to the crowd with cheery smiles. Zeke didn't seem to be too interested in this gathering, but he could understand the occasion. And Diana found herself at the center of all this attention for leading the rescue team into the Ascendant Realm. Everyone wanted the details on what took place in there.

"I saw you land the kill blow." Cayde commented as he placed an arm around Tobias' neck. "I knew you had it in ya."

Tobias was a bit surprised when Cayde suddenly yanked him downward so that he could speak to him quietly.

"And don't tell anyone, but I'm glad you made it back." Cayde added before he released his hold on Tobias, giving him a shove toward the crowd that was eagerly waiting to speak to him. Tobias glanced back at the Hunter Vanguard who motioned for him to focus on the people around him. It was a time for merriment!

* * *

"I see you've been working on your Cayde impersonation Niko." Diana commented as she took a seat in the booth Niko had reserved for them. It hadn't even been a full day since they had returned from the Dreadnaught before Niko called Diana, requesting to meet with her at a local bar near the Mulligan.

"What makes you say that?" Niko asked her as she got comfortable in her seat.

"Cayde does this whenever he had a big mission for us. He'd call up me or Iggy to go over the details with us at some bar over drinks." Diana explained, causing Niko to raise his brow.

"What, he's never done that with me!" Niko exclaimed.

"Oh, well I guess you're not one of his drinking buddies then." Diana said with a bit of a frown before shrugging it off. Niko though, couldn't drop the subject.

"Hold the phone, what do you mean I'm not one of his drinking buddies?" Niko asked her. "I'm one of the best Hunters around and you're telling me that Cayde doesn't think I'm cool enough to drink with him?"

"Well I never said that, but…yeah." Diana said with pursed lips before looked up at their waitress who approached their booth.

"Can I get you anything?" She asked Diana.

"Uh, I'll take a gin and cola." Diana replied to her.

"Comin' right up." She said with a smile before giving Niko a wink. The Hunter wore a sly grin, giving the waitress a nod as she walked away.

"The heck was that?" Diana asked him as she motioned toward the waitress with her eyes.

"Oh…that. That was nothing." Niko responded slowly as he took a sip of his drink.

"Don't even try that. There's something going on between you two." Diana said as she leaned forward with a smirk on her face.

"Let's not get side tracked Diana." Niko began as the waitress returned, setting down Diana's drink in front of her. She then smiled at Niko once more before she left them, causing Diana to raise one eyebrow at him.

"It sure doesn't look like nothing to me." She commented before raising her drink to have a taste.

"Don't get distracted Diana. I called you here to talk about your feelings for Tobias." Niko stated as he stared Diana. She almost choked on her drink at this, staring at Niko incredulously.

"What are you talking about?" She asked him as she took a napkin to wipe her mouth.

"Oh…you're still in denial." Niko noted, leaving Diana dumbfounded.

"Niko, what are you going on about?" Diana asked a second time, looking him in the eyes. Niko stared into her eyes for a moment before raising his eyebrows, impressed that Diana was truly unaware of her own feelings.

"Wow, you're really that ignorant." He said.

"Watch it Niko." Diana warned him as she leaned back in her seat. "Now come on, stop messing with me."

"I'm not messing with you Diana. Can't you tell that you feel something toward Tobias?" Niko asked her as he looked at her expectantly.

"Yeah, I _feel_ like he's my teammate." She stated obviously.

"Diana, drop the charade." Niko said, his face lacking any expression. It wasn't often he became serious about something. With a sigh Diana lifted her drink once again and took a gulp this time before she set it down in front of her, ready to talk with him. "Are you ready now?"

"Yeah."

"So come on, out with it. What do you feel toward him?" Niko asked her, getting straight to the point.

"First off, what makes you think that the feelings I have for Tobias are any different than what I'd have for say….you?" Diana asked him return, causing Niko to roll his eyes.

"Diana, I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen you get visibly upset. Four. The first two times involved the House of Wolves." Niko explained to her. "The other two times, both involved Tobias."

"And what does that prove?" Diana inquired, trying to steer the conversation away from the truth.

"That you obviously your relationship with him is different from what you had with the rest of your teammates. You've seen Briggs and I die on the battlefield, but I've never seen you act the way you did when we were rushing Tobias to the Reef for treatment, and then again when we were going into the Dreadnaught to rescue him." Niko went on. "You can deny it all you want, but I can tell there's something there that you don't want to admit is there."

Diana looked down, placing both her hands around her glass as she stared into her drink, admiring the lime slice that was hooked onto the brim of the glass…

There was something there.

Tobias reminded her of her fiancé. Everything about him matched the man that she was supposed to marry with the exception of his skin color.

Tobias was uncertain of himself when they first met, but Diana had the privilege of observing him as he gained confidence in himself and his abilities. She watched as he matured into a stronger person who valued those around him. She could see that Tobias liked to take care of people, and that he genuinely cared for them as well. His work ethic was top notch, he never wasted a moment. And whenever she was around him, she felt a certain calmness that she only ever experienced around her fiancé.

"He reminds me of the man I was supposed to marry." Diana replied, causing Niko's eyes to widen momentarily. He hadn't been expecting an answer like that, but he didn't let the surprise show for long as he became stoic again.

"I see. And this is the same guy that was killed during the Reef Wars, right?" Niko asked tentatively. He knew that was a sensitive subject for Diana, but she seemed to be handling it well. She nodded in response before downing the rest of her drink.

"My memory of him is a bit foggy, but whenever I'm around Tobias, it feels like I'm around him." She explained. "And I guess whenever Tobias gets into trouble, it feels like I'm going to lose my fiancé all over again."

"I'd give you a hug Diana, but I'm not a…a hugger." Niko said softly before eyeing her empty glass. He then raised his hand, calling over the waitress who quickly fixed Diana up with a second drink. "So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know right now."

"I can't settle for that Diana." Niko replied, causing her to furrow her brow.

"What does this have to do with you?" Diana asked as she glanced at Niko, a smirk forming on her face. "Unless, are you in love with me?"

"Hell no." Niko replied instantly. "But I'm not going to lie, seeing you all broken up at the memorial for Briggs did hurt a bit. I don't want you to get hurt like that again, so I think it'll be better that you deal with these feelings now rather than when it's too late."

Diana was touched that Niko was showing this much concern for him. It wasn't often that he openly stepped in to help someone.

"Thanks Niko." Diana said softly as he looked away from her, taking another sip of his drink. No matter how tough he acted on the outside, Niko was still a big teddy bear.

 **The Mulligan**

 **Hall of Guardians**

It had been two months since the fall of the Taken King, two months that had been even more hectic for the Guardians than their effort to reclaim the Earth from the Taken.

With Oryx dead, the Vanguard set their sights on the Dreadnaught, aiming to eradicate the Hive from it entirely. Even its monarch now dead, the vessel still held many untold horrors, most of which became very active. Clearly just Oryx's very presence had maintained order on that ship, because without him, the Hive on the ship descended into total anarchy.

The Vanguard had always believed the Hive to be united, but these creatures turned on each other with no hesitation, revealing various sects within the Hive that the Guardians had never paid much mind to.

"The pantheon of the Hive within the Dreadnaught has been shattered now that Oryx is gone." Eris explained. "Without him at the very top, his subordinates are fighting for control over the throne."

The Guardians were shocked to say the least as a civil war seemed to break out on the Dreadnaught. The Hive didn't care to protect their Dreadnaught, rather fighting for dominance than anything else. Even with the Guardians invading their ship.

The Vanguard ordered a full scale invasion. The mission to kill Oryx had allowed the Guardians to establish a beachhead on the Dreadnaught, now allowing the Vanguard to unleash their full might upon the Hive. Shaxx and his army of battle frames, better known as the Red Jacks, led the charge against the Hive, overwhelming them in various sectors of the ship while the remaining Guardians targeted their breeding grounds.

Even with the infighting among the Hive, cleaning out the Dreadnaught still took a great deal of time. But as time passed, the Hive gradually began to gather around a power that was comparable to Oryx. The Hive began to reestablish themselves, defending themselves from the Guardians.

"What could cause the Hive to become organized after they've fallen so far out of line?" Zavala asked as he read through a report about their losses on the Dreadnaught. The battle on the Dreadnaught had been relatively loss free up until this point.

"This is the work of Alak-Hul, the Darkblade." Eris stated as she joined the Vanguard Mentors in the Hall of Guardians. "He was one of Oryx's most powerful subordinates, and the only one worthy of being the successor to the throne. With Oryx gone it seems the Hive are beginning to recognize him as the new Taken King."

"We cannot allow this Darkblade to establish himself as the new Taken King. Assemble a team and take, him, out." Zavala ordered.

The Hanging Crypts became the site of the next great battle on the Dreadnaught as Shaxx led the Red Jacks into this area along with a number of other Guardians. Considering the fact that the Darkblade was considered to be the successor of Oryx's crown, his throne was far from what the Guardians had expected. He didn't have a throne, but rather a cell. Alak-Hul had been imprisoned by Oryx for treason, but one of Oryx's remaining subordinates, Ecthar, was going to release Alak-Hul to take the crown.

The Guardians pressed into the Asylum, engaging Ecthar there before he could go any further into the Hanging Crypts. It didn't take them long to realize that their abilities and weapons were useless against Ecthar, although they lost many frames to him. The only thing that could hurt him was the blade that he was wielding.

It took a clever trap by Shaxx and Guardians to steal Ecthar's sword from him and use it to slay him. Shaxx took great interest in Ecthar's sword, choosing to keep it to study later. From there, the Guardians set their sights on Alak-Hul. Eris had declared that eliminating him now was the best choice, even if he was imprisoned. Advancing to the Hanging Crypts, the Guardians discovered that Ecthar wasn't the only being that had aimed to release Alak-Hul.

Sardok, the Eye of Oryx was trying to do the same. Leading a large army of Hive, Sardok used them to keep the Guardian at bay while he went to Alak-Hul's cell, breaking the seal on it. But despite the great number of Hive soldiers that accompanied him, they proved to be no match for the Guardians as they trapped Sardok in Alak-Hul's cell. The Guardians would eliminate them both in this cell, crushing the Hive's final effort to establish a new Taken King.

"The Darkblade is dead!" Shaxx proclaimed over the comm line, causing the commanders who had gathered in the Hall of Guardians to nod with approval. Most of the Dreadnaught had been swept clean, and even they had even squashed the Hive's best effort to stand against them.

"It is done." Eris stated as she stared at the green sphere she held, her lips turned upward for once. "With the death of Alak-Hul, there are no successors to Oryx's throne. The Hive Pantheon is crumbling."

"In other words, good work out there Guardians!" Cayde interjected as he gave a thumbs up to those standing around him. "Come back home to us now, we're waitin' for you."

There were whoops and cheers from the Guardians through the comms as they began to celebrate. Despite how overwhelming it had been fighting Oryx and the Taken after first, they prevailed in the end. Mankind was back on Earth within the safety of Neo Chicago, and for the time being, there were no threats in the system. It was time relax!

 **Neo Chicago**

"We really did it guys." Tobias noted softly as he looked up, staring at the Traveler which was now floating above Neo Chicago. They had really succeeded in taking back Earth from the Taken, and bringing both mankind and the Traveler back to Earth. None of the others with Tobias seemed to be concerned with the Traveler though…

"Don't you think this is a bit much?!" Zeke shouted for the other Guardians with him to hear his voice.

"A bit much?!" Carmen hollered in return. "I always wanted a parade!"

The members of the raid team who had killed Oryx stood together on a hovering parade float that was currently traveling down a major boulevard through the heart of Neo Chicago. Confetti rained down from the buildings above as the streets were decorated for the occasion.

It had been about a week since the Vanguard had announced that the Taken were no longer a threat, so the citizens of Neo Chicago held a parade in honor of the Guardians who had fought so valiantly to reclaim Earth and eliminate the Taken. People filled the sidewalks, waving and cheering not only for the raid team, but the Guardians behind them, all of which were on their own floats.

"Just take it easy Zeke." Diana said to him as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "This is for all the hard work and sacrifices we've made."

Zeke sighed inwardly as he glanced at the crowds they were passing. All these people barely knew him, or what he had gone through during the past few months. But at the same time, they had gone through their own struggles because of the Taken. They were just happy to back on familiar grounds with no threats to their security. And they were showing their gratitude for this.

"Yeah, I suppose." He said as he raised one hand, waving back to their audience.

"Are you having fun Gale?!" Carmen asked the Exo who stood beside her, waving with both his hands to all of the people. Seeing so many smiling faces for the first time really warmed his circuits. He was having a great time!

"Definitely!" He shouted in response.

Tobias and Niko stood toward the front of the float, giving the crowd bright smiles as they approached Consensus Hall.

"Hey Tobias, I'm having a little party later tonight, just for the six of us." Niko said to him. "Can you make it?"

Tobias had actually been planning to visit Trisha and Cody for the first time since he had last seen them in the Reef. He was eager to see them in fact. It had been months after all. But he couldn't miss this little gathering. Right now, he had all the time in the world to visit them. One more day couldn't hurt.

"Yeah, I'll be there." Tobias replied.

"And so I imagine that it's with great pleasure that all of you stand on the Earth once again." The Speaker said as his voice echoed through the streets connecting the Consensus Hall at the heart of Neo Chicago. The crowd that had gathered numbered in the tens of thousands, all of which were eager to show their appreciation for the Guardians.

The event was being covered by the only media outlet that had been set up since their return to Earth, but it was broadcast to the Reef as well for those who had yet to return to the Earth. The Taken who had invaded Earth had been defeated, allowing man to stand on the Earth once again. There wasn't a soul there who wasn't grateful to the Guardians for all they had done.

"Oryx, is dead. The Taken, are gone. And our home, is ours once more!" The Speaker proclaimed, causing the crowd to erupt with applause. The Speaker stood on at the top of the large stairway that led up to Consensus Hall where a podium had been set up for him to address the audience. The Speaker then glanced back at the fireteam who stood behind, the group who had killed Oryx.

Setting his sights on Diana, he motioned for her to step up to the podium now to speak to the crowd.

"And now, the leader of the brave fireteam who defeated Oryx. Commander Diana Amano!" He announced, reviving the cheering that was starting to quiet down before he stepped aside for Diana to take his spot behind the podium. Diana stepped forward in his place, her face now being showing on the massive projectors that had been set up for those that didn't have a great position among the large audience.

Despite the incredible gathering of people that all stood before her, Diana remained poised as she let the audience quiet down.

"While it's nice to receive such an honor, our fireteam only played a small role in the defeat of Oryx. It was the combined efforts of the Guardians that allowed us to prevail. The six of us alone couldn't have done it. The real heroes…are all the Guardians who fought shoulder to shoulder here on Earth, and on the Dreadnaught." Diana said as she smiled warmly at the audience who applauded this statement.

Tobias along with the rest of the team stood farther back behind Diana as she spoke, just far enough that they couldn't be seen on the monitors.

"Man, I'm so glad Diana is the one giving this speech." Carmen noted. "I wouldn't know what to say up there."

"This is coming from the girl who tried to bad mouth Oryx as we fought him." Niko mumbled, getting a chuckle from Gale.

"It's been awhile since we've spoken Tobias." The Speaker said as he now stood beside Tobias who had been watching Diana. Tobias looked up in thought. It really had been a long time since he had conversed with this man in a setting like this. Not since his first day in the Tower.

"Ah, that's true." Tobias noted, nodding his head in agreement. It had been just over a year since that day. One long year. So much had happened since then.

"I see you've made vast improvements though. Not once have you failed to impress me." The Speaker said, getting a chuckle from Tobias.

"Thanks, that's much appreciated."

"Although, I will admit that I'm curious as to how much latent power there is within you." The Speaker continued, causing Tobias to raise his brow at the man.

"What are you talking about?" Tobias asked him.

"I've been watching you since you returned Tobias. And even though it's taking some time, you've finally broken through the surface of the Traveler's power." The Speaker explained to him, receiving nothing but a look of uncertainty from Tobias.

"And what do you mean by that?"

"As I said, I've seen all your battles Tobias. As you fought the Wolves your teammates couldn't deny your vast improvements, but you were only scratching the surface. But with full access to the Radiant Light, it's clear now that you've begun digging deeper into that well of power."

 _'As informed as ever Reginald.'_ The Traveler commented within Tobias who shook his head.

"There's always something for me to improve." Tobias replied. Fighting in the Ascendant Realm had reminded him that he couldn't become overly reliant on this power. He needed all of his skills to be top notch to ensure that he always had something to turn to, no matter the situation.

"That is true. Keep growing stronger Tobias, for everyone's sake." The Speaker stated, giving him a nod before his attention was drawn to Diana who had invited him to return to the podium.

Returning to her teammates, Diana was greeted with high fives from Carmen, Gale and Tobias.

"Good job up there Diana." Zeke said to her as she exhaled loudly.

"I'm just glad that's over." Diana said, glancing back at the Speaker. She couldn't understand how the man was so calm speaking in front of so many people, but with a title like 'The Speaker' obviously this must have come naturally to him.

"Don't relax just yet." Niko said to her as the Speaker beckoned for all of them to join him by the podium now.

"Make no mistake, what Diana said was true. The efforts of all of the Guardians is the reason we are standing on Earth once again. But I feel as though this fireteam behind me deserves special attention for what they went through to defeat Oryx. And I'm sure their fellow Guardians can agree." The Speaker said as he raised his arms, signaling the guards that had been standing further down to come up to him, each of them holding a small case with a medal in it. "The Vanguard and I felt it necessary to reward you all for your merits, so I present to this team, a medal of honor for each of you."

The six of them of them failed to hide their surprise as one by one the medal was hung around their necks for everyone to see.

"Wow!" Gale exclaimed as he examined medal. It was the insignia of the Vanguard engraved in gold.

"This is like, the coolest thing ever!" Carmen shouted as she waved to the crowd as the applause broke out for them.

No matter how much he fought it, Tobias couldn't stop his lips from curving upward. It all felt so surreal to him. The endless applause, the praise from the people, and now a medal of honor.

He was… a hero.

* * *

Even though the sun had set and the skies had turned dark, Neo Chicago was still lit with activity as fireworks continued to light up the sky. Far out beyond the perimeter of the city on a hillside that overlooked the metropolis, the golden embers of a flame could barely be seen. It was insignificant when compared to the fireworks, but to the group relaxing around the flames, they embraced the warmth of the flames.

"This was a really good idea Niko." Diana said with a nod as she stretched a bit before glancing at the Hunter who stood beside her. Her took a glance at her and gave her a smile in response.

The members of Undaunted had gathered together outside of the city after the sun had gone down, to have their own little private celebration for their success. The five of them sat around a bonfire, admiring the embers as they floated up into the night.

"So what exactly am I doing?" Gale asked as he held out a thin metal pole with a few marshmallows on it just over the flames. He had received this task from Tobias a few minutes ago with no explanation, but Gale didn't bother to question this task. He did what he was asked.

"We're making s'mores." Tobias replied as he motioned for Gale to bring the marshmallows to him now.

"Making what?" Carmen asked, getting a chuckle from Tobias.

"I take it you've never had one before." Tobias assumed causing her to shake head.

"Nope. What's in it?"

"Chocolate, graham crackers and marshmallows." Tobias clarified as he blew on one of the small delicacies to cool them before removing one to place it between a pair of the graham crackers and chocolate. "Give it a try."

Tobias was glad that he had asked Niko what he had been planning beforehand. Niko's only intention was for them to relax, but Tobias thought he'd do something a little special for them.

"I was just thinking we could sit back around a campfire and you know, just…relax." Niko said to him, shrugging his shoulders. He hadn't really put much thought into it, he just wanted everyone to get together under circumstances where there was nothing to worry about for a change.

Just the mention of a campfire reminded Tobias of making s'mores on a camping trip with his son. He wanted to try that again.

"Hey, this is pretty good." Niko noted after taking a bite. He wasn't big on sweets, but it was nice combination that he was enjoying.

"Well you had me at chocolate." Diana said kindly as she accepted the treat from Tobias before she looked up, hearing heavy footsteps approaching him.

"Don't worry, that's our special guest coming now." Niko said to them before their instincts would kick in. Everyone was put at ease as they all looked toward the source of the footsteps who burst into the clearing that they had been located in.

It was Zeke. With an auto rifle in hand, raised and ready to fire as he searched for the enemy.

"What the hell?" Zeke said as he lowered his weapon, seeing that there was absolutely nothing noteworthy going on. "What's going on?"

"Glad you could make it." Niko said with a grin as he motioned for Zeke to join them. Zeke was baffled for a moment as a number of questions ran through his head.

"You sent me a distress signal, what's going on?" Zeke asked him again.

"We're making, s'mores?" Niko asked he looked toward Tobias to check his pronunciation. Tobias gave him a nod. "Yeah, s'mores. And we noticed that we had some extra, so I figured I'd call you to have some."

"So you sent me a distress signal?!" Zeke exclaimed.

"Would you have come otherwise?" Niko asked him with a grin. Zeke opened his mouth to respond, but he couldn't answer. There was no way he would've left the solitude of his small apartment to join them out here.

Placing his weapon on his shoulder, Zeke spun away from the group to begin his return trip to the city.

"Hey, where ya going?" Niko hollered at him.

"Back home." Zeke replied.

"Aww, you're really leaving us Zeke?" Diana asked him, causing him to freeze mid step. "Tonight won't be the same if you're not here."

Zeke glanced over his shoulder to see that she had jumped to her feet, clear disappointment on her face as he was prepared to go. With a deep sigh he turned around and returned to the group, all of which cheered for him.

"What's all this for though?" Zeke asked them as Gale delivered a s'more to him from Tobias.

"Well the last couple times we've all been together, there's always a lot of pressure on us. I just thought it'd be good for us to get together and understand that there's…no hard feelings." Niko said as he approached Zeke, his expression soft and sincere for a change.

Zeke was a bit surprised at this, but he couldn't deny that Niko was right. As much as he had looked up to the members of Undaunted, he had lost his cool on several occasions as they boarded the Dreadnaught. He didn't even think they'd be willing to associate with him anymore.

"So you guys are, willing to forgive me?" Zeke asked them tentatively, scratching the back of his neck.

"Of course man, it's all just water under the bridge." Niko said as both Carmen and Gale approached him, extending a closed fist toward him.

"You guys too?" Zeke asked them as he bent over a bit to be on eye level with these two.

"Yeah. But the next time you call us weak, believe me it's on." Carmen stated as Gale gave a nod of agreement.

"Believe me, you're not the first person to snap at someone under pressure." Gale commented as the three of them bumped fists.

Gale had been holed up in the Mulligan during the campaign against the Taken on Earth. He had seen and heard his fair share of arguments over the comms between fireteams as they fought to complete their objectives. The struggle against the Taken had tested the bonds between teammates, and how they handled themselves afterward demonstrated how strong those bonds were.

Tobias threw his arm around Zeke's neck and motioned for him to take a bite of the treat he had made for him.

"We had a few squabbles of our own too, so it's nothing we're not used to Zeke. Just take it easy." Tobias said to him, giving him a smile of reassurance. "So have you had one of these before?"

"This?" Zeke asked, motioning to the s'more. "Yeah, I've had them before, although that was a really long time ago."

"No one makes them better than me." Tobias declared.

"Weren't you just saying that you had no idea whether you had done this right?" Diana asked him skeptically, causing Tobias to look away in denial.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Tobias retorted.

Soon enough the group of six were seated around the campfire, sharing stories and experiences to pass time. Gradually as they got deeper into the night and the fire waned, they began to lie back and looked up at the starry heavens above them. The night sky was decorated with stars as the moon shined brilliantly as the centerpiece.

'Huh?' Tobias said to himself, watching as a figure disappeared into the brush. Glancing around at the others who were laying around the small clearing, Tobias could see that they were all sound asleep, but a certain Warlock was missing. 'Diana.'

Rising up, he quietly pursued her into the bushes. It didn't take him long to realize where she was head as he moved through the thick foliage. There had been another clearing at the very top of the hill that Diana had spotted, but Niko and Carmen had voted for the one a bit lower down for a better view of the fireworks coming from Neo Chicago.

As Tobias arrived at the edge of this clearing, he came to a stop, remaining hidden within the bushes. Diana was at the center of the clearing, dancing.

It was just like at the night he had seen her at the Forgotten Shore. He thought he might have been hallucinating the first time he saw her, but to see it again, he knew that there was no mistaking it. She sparkled in the moonlight, prancing around the clearing. It was breathtaking to watch. She moved with such elegance, yet there was still a sharpness to her movements.

As Diana spun around, Tobias caught a glimpse of her expression as she danced. She was smiling, but he had never seen her smile like this. Her smiles had always been small, but there was always strength and reassurance backing them. But here, she wore a broad smile.

Unaware of the fact that he had been leaning forward to watch her, Tobias finally lost his balance and went tumbling out into the clearing. Diana yelped in surprise at Tobias' sudden appearance before rushing over to him to see if he was alright.

"What are you doing Tobias?" Diana asked him as he rubbed his shoulder.

"I was watching you." He replied simply, causing Diana's cheeks to become violet. No one had ever watched her dance privately before, although she had no idea this was the second time Tobias had seen her. "I saw you dance back when we were in the Reef at the banquet, but I didn't know you could dance like this."

"It's my little secret." Diana replied as their attention was drawn back to the city in the distance. Another round of fireworks went off even though it was well after two in the morning.

"Did you dance at all before you became a Guardian?" Tobias asked her curiously. He knew of her upbringing among the Awoken Royal Guard, but there was always a possibility.

"I wanted to. But it just wasn't what I was destined to be." She replied downheartedly.

"So what about, when all of this is over. What are you going to do?"

"You mean, if we destroy the Darkness?"

"Not if, when." Tobias corrected her as he took a seat on the grassy field, observing the display in the night skies. Diana felt her lips curve up into a smile at Tobias' confidence as she took a seat beside him.

"When we beat the Darkness…I would like to become a choreographer." Diana said to him as their gaze met.

"Alright, I'll hold you to it. Just make sure you make something easy for people that can't dance like me." Tobias said, getting a laugh from her.

"You're not even a bad dancer, but…it's a promise."

* * *

The smoldering mass of metallic alloy most described as Earth's core continued to do the only thing it ever did. Rotate. But for once, it had some company in the chamber that housed it within the center of the Earth. Two celestial beings floated alongside the core, unaffected by the intense heat around them.

"Let us begin the next phase." Ir Halak stated, getting a nod of agreement from her sister that floated alongside her.

A/N

And that officially ends the Taken King arc. What a wild ride! Chapter 13 was where this started practically a year ago I think and I'm really happy to see this arc come to an end. But I have so much more in store for you guys.

Those trailers were GOLD! If you haven't seen the trailers for Destiny 2 yet, I highly recommend checking them out. Cayde was fantastic, and now the setting has been prepped for the grand sequel to Destiny.

The Age of Triumph is so cool. A lot of my old clan mates and friends have come back to Destiny to raid like its Year 1 all over again, so these last few days have been a blast for me. It'll probably be a while before I update this again. I'm busy with all sorts of stuff, and whatever time I have left usually goes to playing Destiny again, so bear with me for the next update.

Thanks for reading as always everyone, have a wonderful day/night!


	31. Progression

**Chapter 31**

* * *

"Are you comfortable Tobias?"

"Uh, yeah, I think so." Tobias replied as he adjusted himself on the white bean bag chair, slightly annoyed as it squeaked is response to his movements. The room he was seated in was completely empty with the exception of his seat, and his only company was a small white orb that had actually requested his presence. "So what did you call me for?"

"Why are you in such a rush Tobias, it's not like I invite you in here that often." The orb responded as it floated around him, coming to a stop behind him. Tobias became stiff as he felt a pair of hands drop down onto his shoulders, but he relaxed a bit as they began to massage him. "You really need to relax a bit more Tobias."

Tobias exhaled as he sunk further into the bean bag chair. Who was he to refuse a massage from the Traveler?

This was the first time he had ever been in here. The Traveler had explained to him that it had found a small little corner of Tobias' consciousness and made it its home. This was the place where the two of them could speak freely.

"See, doesn't that feel nice?" The Traveler asked him, causing Tobias to tilt his head backward look at the form the Traveler used when he was in its presence.

"Yeah, it does. But I've been meaning to ask this for a while. Are you a guy, or a lady?" Tobias asked. He then winced as the Traveler pinched the junction between his shoulder and neck in response to his question.

"You know Tobias, there are some people that would consider that a rude question." The Traveler stated with a huff.

"Ah, my apologies. I'm just curious though. I've never seen as anything more than this ball form you usually have." Tobias explained as the Traveler removed its hands from his shoulders.

"I don't have a gender Tobias, I'm one of a kind." The Traveler responded as it moved around him, situating itself in front of him again.

"So then, why do you sound like a woman?" Tobias inquired.

"This was a voice you seemed to be keen too. But I can alter it if this isn't to your liking." The Traveler went on before clearing its throat. " **How about this?** "

Tobias shivered as the once soothing voice of the Traveler had been replaced with the booming voice of Oryx.

"Nah, let's stick with the lady voice." Tobias said, getting a laugh from the Traveler as its voice returned to the one Tobias was accustomed to.

"So why the sudden interest in me Tobias?" The Traveler asked him.

"Well to my understanding, you've been in existence for tens of thousands of years. Don't you get lonely being out here all by yourself?"

"Aww, I appreciate the concern Tobias. But no, I don't get lonely. Most, if not all of my time is spent studying the strange creatures that I've run into, like you for example." She explained, causing Tobias to frown.

"Why would you consider _me_ strange?"

"Compared to some of the other species I've seen, humans are indeed strange." The Traveler commented with a laugh.

"Really?" Tobias exclaimed. "Fine then, tell me what you've seen. I'll tell you what's weird and what's not."

"I don't want to go too far off topic Tobias. I did call you here for a reason." She said, refocusing their discussion. Tobias frowned at this, viewing this as a cop out to get out that discussion. He wouldn't let the Traveler escape this subject next time though.

"Right. So what was it again?" Tobias asked.

"I wanted to discuss the Radiant Light with you." The Traveler stated, causing Tobias to straighten up in his seat now.

"What took you so long? I've been dying to talk about this." Tobias said, his lips curved upward. He had been eager to learn more about this since the very first time he had used it against Titus many months ago. But the Traveler had been rather unresponsive to him since then. This was the first the time they had really spoken in months.

"So Tobias, did you notice any differences during the times you used the Radiant Light?" The Traveler asked him as their discussion began.

"Uh…." Tobias remained silent for a moment as he thought back to the times he had called forth this power. "Now that I think about, the second time I used it on the Dreadnaught felt different from the other two times."

"Good, I'm glad you noticed this as well." The Traveler said.

"Noticed what?"

"The first two times you used it, the Radiant Light was only acting as a defense mechanism." The Traveler revealed, surprising him.

"Wait, what do you mean by that?"

"This power responds to being in danger as well. You're housing the Light within your body, and naturally it doesn't want to be destroyed, so it responded to the threats at the time." The Traveler clarified for him.

"But the third time, when we were all fighting Oryx and Titus…it felt different that time."

"Yes, because you called it out yourself." The Traveler stated. "That's why I didn't instruct you up until now. I had to be certain that you would be capable of using this power on your own."

"Okay, I think I get what you're saying now." Tobias said as he gave the Traveler a slow nod.

"And do you remember what I said last time? The reason why you were able to use the Radiant Light?"

Tobias nodded again.

"Yeah, because I'm the Vessel of the Light now." He stated.

"You say that so casually, but this is a vital role Tobias. The _most important_ role."

"I know, I know." Tobias said as he shook his head. "It's just a lot to wrap my head around."

"But do you understand what made the difference that allowed you to call forth the Radiant Light?" The Traveler asked him, causing Tobias to look up in thought for a moment.

"You told me yourself. I'm no longer Tobias the Guardian, but the 'embodiment of the Light.'" Tobias said, quoting the Traveler word for word.

"And what does that mean to you?" The Traveler pressed.

"I'll be honest and just say, I have no idea what the means." Tobias admitted. Even after saying that himself, he still didn't quite understand what the Traveler wanted him to understand.

"I've been watching you all this time Tobias, so I was able to see when you gained your resolve to fight the Darkness as a Guardian. But as the fighting continued, and you gained the Radiant Light, you may not have known it yourself; you started to understand that the task of destroying the Darkness rested on your shoulders." The Traveler explained to him. "And once you were able to tell yourself that this was _your_ duty, the Radiant Light became yours."

"So you're saying that I realized, that I'm the one who has to beat the Darkness." Tobias clarified, receiving a nod from the Traveler.

"Yes. Because without you, all hope is lost."

Tobias sat still for a few moments, letting all of this sink in. He had never really given it much thought. Any time the Radiant Light had been brought up, he had let it run off his back like water. But now as all of this settled into his mind, he was realizing the magnitude of what he had to accomplish.

"So if I ever fail…it's _all_ over?" Tobias asked.

"…Yes." It replied after a pause. "But don't forget Tobias, you have more power at your disposal than you could ever imagine."

Tobias had to let this sink in now. That if he died, the Darkness would succeed. All of his teammates, all of his friends, allies, mentors and cherished people would be lost. He couldn't allow that to happen.

"I want to know everything about the Radiant Light. Don't hold anything back from me." Tobias said as he looked at the Traveler, his eyes focused and unrelenting. Failure was not an option.

 **Neo Chicago**

 **The Mulligan**

 **Barrel**

Commander Zavala had two posts within the new base of the Guardians. More often than not, he was stationed in the Hall of Guardians, directing a majority of the Titans from there. But if he couldn't be found there, he was at the headquarters of the Mulligan within the lower levels of the base, recognized as the Barrel.

This was the room responsible for tracking everything in the system. Dozens of operators were monitoring Guardians, updating information concerning enemy movements, and creating bounties that were then sent to Xander 99-40. They directed everything from here.

Standing stall on the platform at the heart of the room, Zavala looked around in search of something to preoccupy himself with. With the defeat of Alak-Hul, and the campaign on the Dreadnaught slowing down as it neared completion, everything around the system seemed to quiet down as well.

The Fallen Houses that had remained on Earth had gone into hiding months ago due to the presence of the Taken. The activity on the Moon had come to a halt, and even on Venus there was nothing taking place between the Fallen or the Vex. The Cabal had gone silent on Mars due to the frequent attacks from Rasputin on top of the losses they suffered attacking the Dreadnaught. So for once, all of the enemies of the Light were at rest.

'Perhaps it might be time for me to return to the Crucible.' Zavala reasoned with himself. It had been weeks since there had been any sort of legitimate action, and he felt the need to get out and put some of his weapons to use.

"Hey Commander!" A voice hollered, getting his attention. Turning around, Zavala peered over the edge of his platform to see one of the operators looking up at him.

"Yes!?" Zavala asked almost too eagerly.

"I'm picking up some unusual seismic activity coming from the center of the Earth." The operator explained as Zavala quickly approached his console so that he could take a look at the information this operator had. "We haven't seen seismic activity like this in centuries."

"Bring up a comparison to the last time there was activity like this." Zavala ordered.

Soon enough the operator brought up some of the records, but the activity they were seeing right now was far beyond what had been recorded years ago.

"What's going on?" Zavala asked himself softly. This wasn't something to brush aside. One of the operators displayed a simulation for him, providing him with an example of what was going to take place. The tectonic plates were beginning to shift again, causing a natural disaster that hadn't been experienced in centuries. "Earthquakes? That can't be..."

"The last recordings of an earthquake predate the Golden Age." An operator called out.

"Check this out Commander." Another stated, getting Zavala's attention. "I've been scanning the Earth's crust, and I noticed that those tunnels the Hive had dug while we were away, some of them go deeper into the Earth. A lot, deeper."

Zavala's straightened up immediately at this. Someone, or something could have gone down those tunnels. Could they have also been responsible for this?

"I want a fireteam to investigate these tunnels ASAP. Tell them to proceed with caution!" Zavala declared.

* * *

"What are we going to do way out here?"

Tobias found himself a few miles to the north of Neo Chicago under the direction of the Traveler.

 _'We're going to begin practicing your use of the Radiant Light.'_ The Traveler responded as Tobias looked around. He stood on the shoreline of a massive lake that stretched out into the horizon.

"But why did you make me go so far from the city?" Tobias asked as he focused on the tremendous city in the distance.

 _'You still don't understand the magnitude of how powerful the Radiant Light is, so I took you this far just to put it into perspective.'_ The Traveler explained. _'Just having the Radiant Light creates a weight around you Tobias. It goes unnoticed by your fellow Guardians because they will adjust with exposure to it. But once you actually begin to use the Radiant Light, that pressure you put on your surroundings becomes something that you can bend to your will. It's like a stasis field.'_

"A stasis field?"

 _'Yes. You could say that it's like…time stops for someone who couldn't even begin to fathom your power.'_ The Traveler declared. _'And with practice, you'll be able to manipulate this stasis field to lock down an area and those in it if you chose to do so.'_

"Well that sounds pretty dang sweet!" Tobias exclaimed with a nod of approval. Now they were talking.

 _'Don't get excited over that. You gain this just for calling the Radiant Light, on top of a number of other things.'_ The Traveler pointed out.

"Like what?"

 _'You have super regenerative abilities, in case you forgot about the fact that-that right arm of yours is pretty new.'_ The Traveler explained to him, reminding him of his first clash with Titus. He hadn't forgotten the fact that his right arm had been severed by Titus, but he had never thought to attribute its instant return to super regeneration. _'Now think back to when you were on the Dreadnaught, what else did you experience?'_

"Hmm." Tobias recalled his last battle within the Ascendant Realm. His mind had been going a mile a minute, but now as he sat back and reexamined the battle, he began to notice some things. "Hey, wasn't I flying when we were out in space?"

 _'Indeed. You'll have the gift of flight when using the Radiant Light as well.'_ The Traveler stated, causing Tobias to smirk.

"Oh~, this is unreal." He exclaimed. Flying would be so cool!

 _'And there's also that sword you created.'_ The Traveler added, causing Tobias to perk up. He had summoned that weapon twice now, and he had felt so powerful using it. He could wait to use it again. _'There is so much more I want to discuss Tobias, but I feel like it's time you started to put all this into practice.'_

"You and me both. Let's do this." Tobias declared as he closed his hands into tight fists. This is what he would need to defeat the Darkness. This would be his key to victory.

 _'Imagine that the Radiant Light rests at the bottom of a well. Reach down to access this power Tobias.'_ The Traveler explained to him.

 _Tobias was suddenly snatched from the open shoreline he stood on, and now found himself standing on an empty plain, similar to the room he had been speaking to the Traveler in earlier. But the only other object present was the same well the Traveler had been talking about. Approaching it, Tobias eyed the bucket and rope that rested beside it, immediately realizing what he would have to do. Collecting the bucket from the floor, he then peered into the well where he saw a blinding light. Lowering the bucket down into the light, Tobias felt it make contact with something before he was overwhelmed with a surge of power. It was unlike anything he had felt before._

Parting his lips slightly, Tobias inhaled for just a moment. It was unreal how he was feeling at the moment.

It felt as though, he had been attuned to literally… _everything._ He could feel the sand shifting beneath him at his slightest movement. He could feel the breeze as it wrapped around his body. It was so much for him to take in at once, and yet it didn't bother him at all. It felt…natural.

 _'How does this feel Tobias?'_ The Traveler asked him curiously, eager to hear his response.

"What…what is this?" He asked as he looked around. There were things that he was noticing for the first time that he never even paid the slightest attention. Studying the stand for a moment, it was almost like he could see every individual grain of sand. Glancing up at the coastline, he could see the patterns of the waves as the tide came in.

 _'You could say that the Radiant Light, unlocked the hidden potential you possess.'_ The Traveler responded.

"What do you mean by that?"

 _'If you recall in our discussion earlier, I've seen and interacted with various life forms in my travels.'_ The Traveler reminded him. _'And I blessed most of them with the Light. They all reacted differently to my power.'_

"How so?" Tobias asked. He wasn't quite sure where the Traveler was going with this, but he would wait and see.

 _'Some of them used my power to enhance themselves physically for combat. Others chose to use the Light to enrich their lives from an agricultural standpoint. And then mankind chose knowledge, taking all of the wisdom I've gained to improve their livelihood.'_ The Traveler explained, surprising him. _'I find it fitting that you all chose knowledge rather than riches or power.'_

"So I don't get it. What hidden potential do I have?" Tobias asked, trying to put all of this together.

 _'This isn't something that you have specifically Tobias. The human brain is unlike anything I've ever encountered, yet you all can't seem to use it to its fullest.'_ The Traveler went on. _'You all came close to unlocking your full potential during the Golden Age, but that was cut short.'_

Tobias remained silent at this. It was clear that the Traveler was alluding to the Collapse.

 _'But since you possess the Radiant Light Tobias, those limits you had are now gone.'_ The Traveler declared to him. _'What that means exactly, I'm still uncertain. But I'm certain that a combination of our two powers will be the key to defeating the Darkness.'_

"Yeah, we're in this together." Tobias said with a nod agreement. "So what about these new powers you were going to teach me?"

 _'You've been using one of them already.'_ The Traveler pointed out to him.

"Oh…" Tobias furrowed his brow before he recalled what the Traveler had shared with him earlier. "The stasis field, right?"

 _'Yup.'_

"But there's no one out here. How do I know if it's working?"

 _'Believe me, it is Tobias. Look back at the city.'_ The Traveler said to him, causing him to make a one eighty. The cityscape of Neo Chicago was far out in the distance from him. 'Everyone…except for the Guardians actually, are frozen at the moment. Because of you.'

"Are you serious?" Tobias exclaimed.

 _'Completely.'_

 **Neo Chicago**

"And I thought after killing Oryx there wouldn't be any more weird stuff happening." Niko muttered as he looked around.

He was standing on street corner downtown, with dozens of people around him. But all of them had become frozen in place a couple of minutes ago. At first he thought was he imagining things. Then he began to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

But after all that, Niko had no choice but to admit that this was really happening.

"Ghost, do you know what's going on?" Niko called out to his companion who took shape beside him.

"I don't have an explanation for this, but it could possibly be connected to this energy signature that appeared at roughly the same time everyone froze." His Ghost explained.

"So what is it, Fallen, Hive?" Niko asked, stretching his fingers a bit. He was itching for a battle.

"Neither. It's the Light. But it's so dense. The only time I've ever seen it like this was when Tobias entered that special form back when we invaded the Hive fortress. So that would mean…" His Ghost trailed off as Niko nodded his head.

"Tobias has something to do with this." Niko mumbled as he deflated a bit.

Niko had-had little to no action as the campaign on the Dreadnaught grinded towards its end. There was nothing for him to do, and he was beginning to suffer from action withdrawal. He needed something…anything!

"Can you tell me where he is?" Niko asked.

"It's difficult to pin point where he is exactly. It's like he blanketed the whole area in the Light." Niko's Ghost went on. "This Light is densest outside of Neo Chicago, heading north. That's a general direction we can work with for now."

* * *

"This is amazing!" Tobias hollered as he raced over the surface of the water. He wasn't on his Sparrow though. It was just himself, hovering parallel to the water. He was actually flying!

When he had last fought Titus, he had been so caught in the battle that he hadn't even noticed that he had been flying. But now that this was his only focus, he couldn't deny that this was an incredible experience. It was entirely different from flying in a jumpship, or jumping off a cliff on his Sparrow. He felt so free!

"It's good to see you got a handle on flight so quickly Tobias." The Traveler noted, receiving a nod from him.

There wasn't really much of a trick to flying for him. The core aspect of it was manipulating the Arc Light or kinetic energy in the same fashion as Hunter would to jump multiple times, even while airborne. While in Stormtrance, Stormcallers could also fly as well due to their mastery of Arc Light granted to them during the duration of this ability.

"So in principal, shouldn't all the other Guardians be able to fly too?" Tobias asked the Traveler. "I mean, this is something that Warlocks and Hunters have gotten close to it already."

 _'In theory, anyone who understands how to manipulate Arc Light could develop the ability of flight. But to attain that level of mastery is something that few Guardians have reached.'_ The Traveler explained to him.

"I see." Tobias said quietly before sensing movement approaching him. Coming to a stop so that he could float upright now, he looked out into the distance. Tobias inhaled sharply as his vision seemed to zoom in on the person who approaching him, allowing him to identify them as Niko riding his Sparrow. He was still a long distance from Tobias, but it was nothing a Sparrow couldn't cover in a few minutes.

 _'One of your friends is approaching.'_ The Traveler said to him. _'Now might be a good time for you to experiment with your stasis field.'_

"Okay, so what do I do?"

 _'It's just like what you've been doing to fly. Now though, you're going to manipulate the Light around the individual rather than yourself.'_

"So I can like, control them?" Tobias inquired.

 _'No, they won't become a puppet for you. But you can restrict their range of motion, or remove it entirely if that's what you wish. Just start to apply pressure on them like you would if you were trying to hold something down.'_ The Traveler said.

* * *

"Dang, where is he?" Niko muttered as he looked around. The coast to the north of Neo Chicago was completely barren. No signs of life at all.

His Ghost still couldn't narrow down Tobias' location for him, so he had been hoping to find something that would help him locate his teammate, but there was nothing of the sort.

"Huh, what's this?" Niko's Ghost said suddenly.

"What's up?" Niko asked in return.

"The Light, it's starting to gather around…you." His Ghost revealed, causing Niko to furrow his brow.

"What the heck does that-" Niko began before he was suddenly yanked off his Sparrow. Or rather, he was frozen in midair, as if he was still seated on his Sparrow. But the vehicle he had been riding continued forward, dipping forward due to a lack of a driver which caused it to spiral out of control after making contact with the sand. "Whoa!"

"Astounding." His Ghost exclaimed as formed, beginning to examine Niko closely. "It's as if the Light is…"

Niko's Ghost trailed off as an overwhelming energy signature was now above them. Looking up, the small drone spotted Tobias descending toward of them, shining white once again.

"I figured you had something do with whatever's going on in town." Niko said to him. He could still move his mouth and eyes, but he couldn't actually raise his head to look at Tobias directly.

"What happened back in town?" Tobias asked.

"Everyone is frozen like this." Niko's Ghost stated, causing Tobias' eyes to widen.

"For real?" He exclaimed.

"Ye-up." Niko said. "Now if you'd kindly let me start moving again, that would be much appreciated."

Feeling the pressure on his body that had held him in place suddenly vanish, Niko dropped to the sandy shore with a thud.

"You couldn't put me down nicely?" Niko asked him as he shook himself a bit, beginning to dust of the stand from his cloak.

"Sorry." Tobias said with a chuckle.

 _'It's best you stop calling on the Radiant Light for now Tobias. We'll continue tomorrow.'_ The Traveler said to him.

 _Taking a deep breath, Tobias found himself standing in front of the well within his mind again. The bucket he had lowered earlier was in his hands, about half empty now. Tipping it over, he emptied the contents of the bucket back into the well, feeling the power leave him._

Opening his eyes now, Tobias found himself resting on his bottom, and Niko was resting on his side. And the ground was shaking!

"What's going on?!" Niko demanded to know.

"It's an earthquake!" His Ghost declared.

 **The Mulligan**

 **The Barrel**

The occupants of the headquarters of the base were in a state of panic as they struggled to keep working while the room shook. None of them had ever experienced an earthquake before, and it was truly terrifying. In not for the information they had gathered beforehand, none of them would have been prepared for this.

"Commander, the strength of tremors goes way beyond the old Richter scales we pulled up from the Golden Age. This city is going to be destroyed at this rate!" One of the operators declared to Zavala who was fighting to maintain his balance on the small platform he stood on.

Despite their conditions though, Zavala was deep in thought. This couldn't be a natural occurrence. There hadn't been an earthquake in centuries; the previous scales used to measure these disasters were of no use for this one. Something or someone was definitely responsible for this.

"What about the teams that went down to investigate those tunnels? Has there been any word from them?" Zavala asked as he looked around, hoping for an immediate answer.

"We're contacting them right now Commander! One moment!"

Zavala anxiously waited as a connection was established between the headquarters and the fireteam that had journeyed below the Earth's surface earlier today.

"This is Commander Zavala, come in fireteam. What's the situation down there?" Zavala asked now that a comm line had been set up.

"This is Captain Prusa. We've got a situation down here. We're sending you a visual now." The leader of the fireteam declared. The largest monitor in the room became the focus of everyone attention as they began to see the feed from the fireteam. And just about everyone froze at the sight of this.

It was a clear image of the Earth's core, but there was a pair of black spiraling whirlpools on each side of the core, siphoning energy from it. Each of these whirlpools extended out from the core, back to a pair of large beings who floated with their hands together, as if they were praying. Eris Morn was the first to identify both of these creatures.

"The Daughters of Oryx!" She exclaimed over the comms. What had started out a private line of communication between headquarters and this fireteam, had been opened up to every Guardian present in Neo Chicago. Once the earthquake had started, all of the Guardians were assigned to aid with the emergency response units around the city, all of which were unresponsive at the moment.

"Eris, do you know what they are doing?" Zavala asked her. Her knowledge had been invaluable during the last several months, and it seemed as though this trend would continue.

"They've…transformed the chamber containing the Earth's core. It's, almost like a Throne World." Eris said as she studied what she could from the live feed. "What they're doing to the Earth's core, not even I know. But it's clear that they must be stopped, _right now_!"

"We've already tried that. None of our weapons or abilities are effecting them." Captain Prusa responded, getting an irritated sigh from Eris.

"They possess the Aura of Immortality like their father. There is only one person who can help you all with this." Eris stated. "You need the Hivebane, Diana Amano."

A/N

Hello everyone, long time no see. I didn't quit or anything in case you were wondering. I just had a really long case of writer's block, so I started working on another fic and became obsessed with it resulting in PotL taking a backseat for a while. I intend to start posting this other fic in the future, but for the time being I'm coming back to Destiny.

I actually really hated this chapter and it was the cause of my writer's block. I've rewritten it about four times now and this was the version I settled on. I'm still not too happy with it, but I can't sit at this point in the story any longer.

I'm just going to give you all a forewarning that my time is divided between two fics now so my already irregular updates will probably be even more inconsistent. My apologies in advance, and for those of you who put up with the pace of my updates, you have my thanks.

As always, thanks for reading everyone, and hopefully we'll meet again sooner rather than later.


	32. Lair of Deception I

**Chapter 32**

* * *

 **Neo Chicago**

"Diana, did you hear that?" Her Ghost asked as it focused intently on the discussion taking place between Zavala and the fireteam at the Earth's core.

"Does it look like I can listen to all that right now!?" Diana hollered in response as she and a pair of Guardians held up some collapsing debris, shouting for the people to clear away to avoid being hurt. Once the citizens had taken some distance from it, the three of them allowed it to drop to the ground with a heavy thud.

Neo Chicago was in a state of panic. The powerful tremors were causing buildings to go down left and right. Fortunately, the Guardians within the city reacted to the emergency with urgency. There wasn't much they could do at the moment to keep the city intact, but they were doing what they could to preserve lives.

With a heavy sigh, Diana looked around at the damage that had been done to their precious home. The roads were uneven, homes now lay in ruins, but at least the tremors had stopped for the time being.

"What's going on right now?" Diana asked as she watched the two Guardians she was with begin to direct the citizens to a safer area.

"That's what I was trying to tell you." Her Ghost stated as it flew around her head, finally receiving her full attention. "Eris has identified the Daughters of Oryx doing something to the Earth's core. The Vanguard has been trying to contact you."

Blinking a few times, Diana began to hear the voices on the comm line that her helmet was linked too. She had tuned out everything as the tremors began, rushing off to aid the residents of Neo Chicago.

"Commander Zavala, this is Diana Amano checking in. What's the situation?" Diana asked after her Ghost had established a direct link with Zavala.

"Good, we were getting worried that you might have been injured in all of the commotion." Zavala said, clearly relieved that Diana had finally contacted them. "We have a fireteam at the Earth's core who has engaged the Daughters of Oryx. Unfortunately, their arsenal of weapons and abilities is useless against them. Eris says that you're the only one capable of turning the tide of that battle."

Diana furrowed her brow. She had never fought the Daughters of Oryx. They had fled when they arrived at Oryx's throne room on the Dreadnaught. How could she be the only one that could sway the course of this battle?

"Alright Commander, just tell us what we have to do." Diana's Ghost declared.

"A transmat has already been prepped for you to join them. We need you to join them immediately and put a stop to whatever it is the Daughters are doing." Zavala stated.

With a snort, Diana couldn't believe how much her day had changed in the space of thirty minutes. Things had been so slow lately that she had been growing used to it, but the chaos of being a Guardian returned in an instant.

"I'm ready now, let's go." Diana said as she gave her Ghost a nod.

"Opening the transmat now." Her Ghost said.

* * *

It was hot! Diana shrieked at the sudden and drastic spike in temperature, but just before it felt like she was going to melt away, she was cooled instantly.

"Sorry for the slight delay Diana, I didn't calculate how long it would take me to catch up to you." Her Ghost explained as Diana began to pat her sides, amazed that they were still there. For but a moment it felt like she her body had been burned away.

"I'm good." She replied, taking a moment to check her surroundings. Looking down, Diana found herself staring at the massive molten sphere. It was magnificent to see the array of fiery colors that radiated from the core, but Diana immediately took note of the black whirlpools that draining the color from it. But as she looked down, Diana realized that she was standing on something. A circular platform that stretched around the very top of the core. She never would've imagined that there would be something to stand on this close to the planet's core. Was this even possible?

"It looks like the Daughters of Oryx have twisted this area to suit whatever it is that they're trying to accomplish." Her Ghost noted before turning to face the trio of Guardians that were approaching them.

"Captain Diana, it's good to see you made it." The Titan better known as Captain Prusa called out, waving to her.

"You can drop the title, Diana is just fine." Diana replied as she waved off his earlier statement.

"I'll fill you in quickly." Prusa began as he pointed out a tall pillar a fair distance from them. Floating above it was Ir Halak who had her hands extended toward the funnel that led out to the whirlpool. "They have some sort of shield that protects them from our attacks. We've tried everything we know and nothing has affected them in the slightest. Whatever is shielding them is impervious to the Light."

"Diana, they possess the Aura of Immortality, something I know you must have dealt with when you fought Oryx." Eris said over the comms. "Surely you know how to remove it from them."

Recalling what Toland had taught her in the Ascendant Realm, Diana nodded slowly. She knew what she had to do. Toland wasn't here to guide her like when they fought Oryx, but the repetition from that battle would last a life time.

Quickly looking around the area they could walk on, Diana spotted a raised platform. On top of it was the same design as the platforms within Oryx's throne room. It was exactly the same.

"Okay, so in order for us to kill them, we have to take down that shield. The only option really is for me to steal it from them. You see that platform; there should be three more just like it. Spread out and locate them." Diana explained as the fireteam of three gave her a nod. They all dash out them, quickly circling around the zone that had been created by the Daughters.

Soon enough, each of them were standing beside the platforms that Diana had described.

"Okay, we found em'." One of them called out to Diana.

"There's this black cloud above my platform." Prusa pointed out.

"That's what I'm looking for." Diana stated as she quickly made her way over to the Titan.

"What do you want to do with it?" He asked in return.

"Its kind like a portal, that lets me cross over into another dimension. When I cross over, there's something called the Brand which I can use to steal the shield that the Daughters have." Diana explained as she stood beside Prusa, preparing to leap onto the platform. "Once I cross, each of you has to jump onto the platform you're standing by, one at a time. This will build a pathway for me to collect the Brand. Don't leave the platforms until I give you a signal, alright?"

"You've got it." Prusa said as he watched Diana jump up into the smoke. She vanished from his sight following this, but recalling her orders; he jumped onto the platform and motioned for his teammates to do the same.

Diana looked around, recognizing the monotone world that she returned too. All of the bright oranges and yellows that surrounded the core had been swallowed up, leaving her with nothing but black, white and gray around her. Glancing around the area, it didn't take her long to spot the twinkling star high above them. The Brand.

Looking to her left, the platforms began to form, creating the pathway that would take her to it. As Diana began to jump from one to the next, she could see that a fight had broken out down beneath her. The Taken had been summoned by the Daughters, likely because they recognized the threat in Diana as she approached the Brand. The Taken were doing all that they could to try and the force the Guardians off of their platforms in an attempt to stop Diana's progress, but the Guardians fought back valiantly, refusing to abandon their positions.

Reaching the final platform, Diana placed her hands around the sparkling light, and suddenly she returned to the colored world that she knew. She then looked down, realizing that she was directly above the Earth's core now, and in position to jump to either Ir Anuk or Ir Halak.

"Get ready guys, I'm going for the one on the left. Focus fire as soon as the shield is gone!" Diana declared to them as she jumped from the floating platform she stood on. Descending down to Ir Halak's platform, Diana slammed her hand against shield as she made contact with it, snatching away the protective dome that had been covering Ir Halak.

She shrieked with disapproval, raising her arms as she began pelting Diana with energy blasts, but the Warlock was unaffected. The attacks were simply eaten up by the Aura of Immortality that was now protecting Diana.

"Get her!" Diana shouted as she jumped from Ir Halak's platform, leaving her to been bombarded with bullets from the three Guardians down below. "Don't hold back, give it everything you've got!"

The screams from Ir Halak escalated as the Guardians began to use their heavy weaponry, hitting her with shells from their rocket launchers that detonated on impact, vaporizing various parts of her body. The Guardians fired away mercilessly, whittling away at her.

Looking through the sights of her Gjallarhorn as the weapon rested on her shoulder, Diana felt a smirk form on her face as she heard it begin to hum. The tracking system locked onto Ir Halak, and Diana tightened her grip on the trigger. Compared to how lengthy their fight had been against Oryx, his Daughters weren't even close to him in terms of power or durability. It seemed as though this one shot from her Gjallarhorn would be the end of Ir Halak. And then they would have to do this once more to kill Ir Anuk as well.

Pulling the trigger, there was a high pitched screech as the shell left the barrel of the rocket launcher which gained the attention of the three Guardians with Diana. Lowering their weapons, they all watched as Ir Halak lowered her arms, staring dreadfully at the approaching Gjallarhorn rocket. The explosion was massive, completely enveloping whatever was left of Ir Halak and vaporizing her thoroughly. There wasn't anything left for the Wolfpack rounds to clean up as the Guardians gave a few cheers over this small victory as the black whirlpool from Ir Halak faded away.

'Sister, your sacrifice will be remembered. Once we defeat the Children of the Light, I will restore you.' Ir Anuk said as she lowered her hands. The whirlpool that Ir Anuk had been directing vanished as well, giving her a moment to look at the Guardians, focusing on just one of them in particular. Diana. 'Even though you are a Child of the Light, I can sense the Darkness within you. I wonder what the future holds for you.'

"This isn't over just yet guys. We've got to do that one more time." Diana called out as she looked around the platforms for her new starting point. But a shriek from Ir Anuk put everything on hold. All four of the Guardians looked toward Ir Anuk where they could see that she was beginning to rise up from her platform.

"Whoa, what's going on?" Prusa exclaimed as a seam opened up above Ir Anuk, widening to the point where she could pass through it. Sparing the Guardians one final glance, Ir Anuk then disappeared into the seam, leaving this team at the center of the Earth.

"What the heck just happened?"

"She…left?" Diana said, a bit confused as well. She could understand why Ir Anuk had fled since they had made quick work of her sister, but to abandon their plan so quickly seemed rather odd.

"What's happening?" Zavala asked through the comm line.

"One of them got away Commander." Prusa replied.

"We did stop them from messing with the Earth's core though."

"Good work Guardians, come back to base for now."

 **Saturn**

 **Dreadnaught**

 **Mausoleum**

Performing a front flip while she was airborne, Carmen evaded the blade of the Hive Knight she had engaged and positioned herself to land on its shoulder. Snapping its head to the side to stare at Carmen, the Hive Knight found itself staring down the barrel of her Ace of Spades, which she didn't hesitate to fire. The Knight burst into pieces, leaving its armor to fall to the ground while Carmen quietly landed on her feet. Looking toward the Acolytes that had been watching the duel, Carmen shrugged her shoulders, waiting for them to act.

"Well, are we going to do this or not?" Carmen asked them. It was a total of five of them, all of which glanced at each other.

The command structure of the Hive on the Dreadnaught was collapsing as the Guardians steadily removed the higher ranking soldiers of the Hive. Knights and Wizards were becoming scarce, leaving Acolytes and Thrall to fend for themselves against the Guardians' assault. The lack of leadership was beginning to show as the foot soldiers of the Hive were left indecisive and defenseless.

One of the Acolytes screeched as it pointed toward Carmen. All of them then turned to her as well, raising their Shredders to gun her down. But before they could fire, two of them exploded after taking a throwing knife to the head.

"Too slow." Carmen said as the remaining Acolytes began to fire at her. Glancing over her shoulder, Carmen spotted a sheet of raised metal that had fallen from the Cabal ship above them. She could use that as cover. Performing a pair of backflips, Carmen then leapt into the air to vault over the sheet of the metal, shielding herself from the purple energy that Acolytes were firing haphazardly.

Pausing for a moment now that Carmen was hiding, the Acolytes nodded to one another before they began to approach where Carmen had gone. But a flash of orange light caused each of them to freeze in their tracks. Carmen then jumped onto the top of the sheet metal, balancing herself on the thin surface she had with ease. She was glowing orange, with a flaming pistol in hand. Rattling off three shots in an instant from her Golden Gun, the Acolytes were left as nothing more than embers that were swept away.

"Hah!" Carmen exclaimed as she spun her Ace of Spades on her index finger before sliding it back into its holster on her thigh.

"They were the last group I detected in this area. That should do it for now Carmen." Her Ghost said as it formed beside her.

"I told those guys I could handle it myself." Carmen noted as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "The Hive are pitiful right now."

Roughly a week after the fall of the Darkblade, Carmen returned to the Dreadnaught to aid in the effort to clean out the ship. With most, if not all of the Hive leader's dead, the ship had become nothing more than a massive Hive breeding ground, which the Vanguard intended to stomp out. Cleaning out the Dreadnaught was nothing compared to the Taken campaign back on Earth. Everything had gone smoothly as the Guardians put the Hive in the chokehold, cornering them into various parts of the ship where they would eventually wipe them out.

"The area where the Guardians found the Darkblade is close to here. From the reports I heard it's become a nest for the Hive." Her Ghost explained as Carmen scaled one of the nearby pillars, climbing to the top of it to gain a higher vantage point of the area. She had been patrolling this area for the past week alongside a fireteam, but even after seeing it so many times, she still couldn't help but marvel at the enormous gorge toward the back of the area and the shining light above it.

"That just means we'll have to round up a group of Guardians and clean it out again." Carmen declared. That was all they were doing as they wiped out the Hive across the ship.

"Holy crap!"

"What the heck was that?!"

Carmen perked up hearing these shouts on the comm line between herself and the fireteam she had been working with.

"Hey, what's going on guys?!" Carmen asked urgently. "Status check?"

"Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. That energy blast caught me off guard though."

"We're out at the breach in the Dreadnaught Carmen. It was quiet before we suddenly detected a huge energy signature. It's headed in your direction!"

This warning caused Carmen to take a hold of her Ace of Spades in preparation. But even though she was presently located in a large and open area, she found herself struggling to keep her balance on the pillar as the ship began to shake. A gong resounded through the area, gaining Carmen's attention as the Rupture at the edge of the gorge opened up.

"Here it comes!" Her Ghost called out as it marked the location on the interface of her helmet where this enemy would be coming from.

"What's going on?!" Carmen exclaimed as she looked out at the Rupture. A seam opened up above it, becoming wide to let the large form of Ir Anuk descend from it, placing her right in front of the Rupture. Carmen immediately recognized her at first glance, recalling the short period of time where she had seen Ir Anuk and Ir Halak within the Ascendant Realm. "What's she doing here?"

 **Earth**

 **Neo Chicago**

 **The Mulligan**

"So what have we gathered so far?" Zavala asked as he looked around the commander center. The operators had been compiling all of the data they could in order for them to reach a verdict on what had just taken place.

"We can confirm that the Earth's core is intact. Whatever they were doing, it was affecting the magnetic polarity of the Earth. But now that they're gone, those fluctuations have stopped as well." An operator explained, allowing Zavala to release a deep sigh of relief. But at the moment, that seemed like the only positive they could draw from this situation.

"And what about the damage to the city?" Zavala asked softly.

"The emergency response frames and the Guardians have been working non-stop since the tremors ended, but the causalities are still being calculated."

Zavala closed his hands into tight fists, irritated that such an event had taken place.

How could they have allowed the Daughters of Oryx to reach the Earth's core of all places?!

"Eris, are you alright?" Zavala asked, looking up as he waited for a response through the comm line. She was on one of the upper levels of the base, and he could only hope that she had weathered the storm as well as they did.

"Yes, I'm fine." She replied.

"Do you have any thoughts on what just took place?" Zavala continued.

"I am…uncertain. Their motive is unclear to me. As far as I have ever known, those two have only served their father. But with the recent development on the Dreadnaught, their actions have no direction. This could be their own doing." Eris explained.

"This is unsettling." Zavala said as he looked down, placing a hand on his chin.

"Don't forget Commander, we did manage to kill one of them." One of the operators pointed out, reminding him that their present foe had just experienced a significant loss.

"We need to nip this in the bud." Zavala stated as he looked up now. It had taken them nearly a year to defeat Oryx, and put an end to the threat of his armies. They didn't need to face such a threat again so soon. "Put all of the Guardians across the system on high alert. We need a location of Oryx's remaining daughter now so that we can eliminate her."

"Commander Zavala, we just received a report from the Dreadnaught. I'll play it back for you." One of the operators interjected as Zavala turned to look at them.

"This is Carmen Fox reporting from the Mausoleum on the Dreadnaught. My Ghost and I have just spotted one of Oryx's kids entering a Rupture here!" She declared, causing Zavala to furrow his brow. It almost seemed too convenient that a member of Undaunted would be the one to confirm Ir Anuk's location.

"Patch me in to her." Zavala stated, receiving a nod from the operator.

"And…here she is."

"Carmen, this is Commander Zavala. Gather any nearby fireteams and hold that position. You're teammates are on route." Zavala replied before looking back at the operator again. "Make a channel for fireteam Undaunted, I have a mission for them."

* * *

"Well, it's been almost three months." Niko said as he looked across the cabin at Tobias and Diana. "I was just starting to get used to not having you guys around."

"Oh please, I know you missed us Niko." Diana retorted with a smirk.

The three of them had been reunited in the Mulligan not even five minutes ago before they were ushered into Diana's jumpship and told to make their way to the Dreadnaught.

"Did you guys think we'd be back out in the field so soon?" Tobias asked curiously, causing Niko and Diana to glance at one another.

"Our work is never done." Niko commented as he leaned further into his seat. To be honest though, he was trying to contain his excitement. The past few months had been so boring after Oryx had fallen, and he had been anxious to dive into the heat of battle again. He welcomed the mission they were about to embark on.

"So what's the mission?" Tobias asked as he looked toward Diana. He had heard over the comms that she had been among a group of Guardians that went to the center of the Earth.

"A fireteam discovered the Oryx's daughters within the Earth. I joined them and we worked together to kill one of them, but the other escaped before we could do anything to her." Diana explained.

"I'll bet you didn't have a Hunter there." Niko interjected, raising his brow at her.

"Oh shut it Niko." Diana said to him. "Anyway, Carmen was on the Dreadnaught and was actually the one to spot the remaining Daughter. So we're meeting up with her to take care of this one."

"I was wondering where that little squirt ran off to." Niko said with a chuckle. She hadn't said a word to him about going back to the Dreadnaught.

"What about Gale, is he with her?" Tobias asked, noticing that their smallest teammate was missing as well.

"No, Zavala didn't assign him to us for this mission." Diana replied.

"Why not?"

"Originally he was assigned to our team, but after reaching the rank of Colonel, Zavala pulled him. He requested to join us for the raid on the Dreadnaught, but he's not officially a member of Undaunted anymore." Diana revealed to them.

"Plus he's a huge asset for the Vanguard, so I'd imagine they want to keep him as close to them as possible." Niko added, getting a nod of agreement from Diana.

"So what, we'll only see him for the big missions?" Tobias inquired.

"Maybe." Diana said as she shrugged her shoulders. "That's if there's any left. Oryx was a monster and I can't imagine what could be stronger than him."

"I wouldn't worry." Niko said as he placed his hands behind his head. "As long as you guys have a Hunter around, there's no threat we can't handle."

Diana rolled her eyes in response, getting a chuckle from Tobias.

 **Saturn**

 **Dreadnaught**

 **Mausoleum**

"Man, coming back to this place reminded me of how disgusting it is." Diana commented as she, Niko and Tobias trekked through a tight tunnel, following the beacon Carmen had placed at her current location.

Niko looked down at the ground as he led the group, spotting one of the small parasites that had surfaced from the ground beneath them. Whipping out his hand cannon, Niko put a bullet into it, getting a screech from it before it became motionless.

"Ugh, really Niko?" Diana exclaimed as the grotesque sight Niko had left behind, gaining a chuckle from him.

"Hey, I'm just doing my job. Letting those things live means we're giving it a chance to grow into the Hive we've been fighting." Niko pointed out.

"You're so full of crap Niko." Diana stated as she stepped over the worm, continuing down the tunnel until it finally opened up into area where Carmen's signal was coming from.

"Carmen, do you read us?" Tobias asked as they looked around in search of their teammate.

"Sheesh, I beginning to think you guys weren't going to show up." She replied, getting a snort from Tobias as their helmets revealed her exact location. She was waiting for them on top of a raised platform where all of them could see the Rupture that she had reported.

"Better late than never." Niko replied as the three of them journeyed up to the platform where they discovered that a number of fireteams were present at the location with Carmen.

"Captain Amano." One of the Guardians began, approaching Diana. "We've secured the area and intend to hold it while your team proceeds with your mission."

"Captain?" Tobias whispered to Niko who stood beside him.

"Yeah, it's official now. Zavala publicly named Diana as the leader of fireteam Undaunted. A lot of people look up to us, so it's no surprise that she'll get a title attached to her name." Niko replied, a small smile hidden underneath his helmet. He knew how much heartache Diana had gone through after Briggs had been lost, and he was proud to see her earnestly trying to fill his role now.

"Well excuse me." Tobias said with a grin.

"Carmen, I want a summary of what took place here when you saw Oryx's Daughter." Diana said to the small Hunter who looked up in thought.

"Uh, I was shooting stuff. And then that big ol' witch showed up. That's about it." Carmen replied, causing Diana to deadpan. Carmen's Ghost immediately took shape beside her, giving a deep sigh.

"My apologies Captain." Her Ghost said, rolling its only optic. "We were here with another fireteam doing a routine patrol. Just when things had started to quiet down we detected a noteworthy energy signature which was followed by the appearance of Oryx's Daughter. We witnessed her entering the Rupture which closed abruptly once she had gone in."

"Thank you." Diana said kindly to the Ghost.

"It's not a problem Captain." Carmen's Ghost replied.

"Kiss up." Carmen said under her breath as Diana turned to the rest of Undaunted.

"Alright guys, prepare to mobilize." Diana declared.

"Where to?" Tobias asked curiously as Diana looked at the Rupture.

"I'm not exactly sure myself, but we're going into the Ascendant Realm." Diana replied as she recalled some information that Toland had shared with her after they had killed Oryx.

 _"The death of Oryx is indeed a critical blow to deal to the Hive, but your fight against the Hive pantheon isn't over. I feel as though you will have to return to this realm at some point." Toland said to her as the two of the stood in front of the portal that would take Diana back to the Dreadnaught. Everyone else had already gone through, save for the Warlock who had opened the portal._

 _"Will you help us again if we return?" Diana asked him curiously. Toland's guidance had been crucial in their assault of the High War. Without him this mission would have ended in failure._

 _"Certainly. I'll be waiting for you." Toland stated._

Even though they were going in blind once again, Diana was sure that with Toland's guidance they would find Ir Anuk and end this situation.

The area shook as the Rupture was ripped open by Diana, surprising most the Guardians that were aiding Undaunted. None of them had been in the Hall of Souls the first time she had opened a Rupture. It was certainly something to see.

"Let's get moving." Diana stated as she motioned for her team to follow her in.

"Good luck Captain!" The Guardians called out to Undaunted as one by one they disappeared into the Rupture.

 **Ascendant Realm**

 **Crossroads**

"Man, if there's one thing I'm not going to get used to, it's how cold it is here." Carmen mumbled as she rubbed her hands on her shoulders, trying to warm herself up a bit.

"Ugh, don't remind me." Diana said as she shook herself, doing what she could to ignore the sudden temperature drop as well. Looking around the area, Diana took a short breath as she recognized the platform they stood on. They were surrounded by deep space once again, waiting on a small ledge for the Hive Tombships to start appearing.

"Sweet, we have to do this again." Niko said with a small grin. The adrenaline rush from jumping from one ship to the next was incredible last time. He never thought he was have an opportunity to do this again.

'Where are you Toland?' Diana asked herself as she looked around.

"Hey, there she is!" Tobias hollered as the Tombships began to appear. Out in the distance, Ir Anuk took shape as well, looking away from them as she floated above one the ships.

"We can't let her get too far ahead of us. Come on, let's follow her!" Niko called out as the first Tombship formed in front of the ledge they were standing on.

"Diana, what's the hold up?" Carmen called out to her now that she, Niko and Tobias had boarded the ship. Diana was the only one how was still on the platform, looking around anxiously.

Toland was nowhere to be found, and he was the reason they had gotten through this puzzle the first time. But without him, how were they going to find their way across this time? She didn't have the slightest clue what ship would take them where. Where would they end up if they attempted this on their own?

"Nothing." Diana said as she joined them. There was no time. They couldn't let Ir Anuk escape them.

Together the four of them now stood together on the roof of the Tombship which rose slightly before it began to move forward, journeying out into the area where the other ships were moving about. Everything was calm as all of them watched which ship Ir Anuk had jumped to next, which they would catch on the next rotation.

It was easy at first. But not for long. Far out in the distance, multiple gray platforms began to take shape, followed by Hive Acolytes and Knights spawning on top of them. Without any mercy, these enemies began to fire away at the Guardians, bombarding them with their shredders and boomers

"Aww yeah, now we're talking!" Niko exclaimed as he summoned his Stillpiercer. Raising his weapon, Niko picked off the closest set of enemies, shooting down the group of three before he reloaded his weapon.

"Niko, Tobias, you guys take care of the enemies. Carmen, you track Ir Anuk on which ship we have to take next." Diana said quickly. Everyone quickly took their positions.

Niko and Tobias began to pick off the their Hive opponents with their long range weapons, but as they cleared them away, more of them continued to replace the ones they had shot down.

"We're not getting anywhere with this." Niko grumbled as he lowered his sniper. He had already cleared off the same floating platform three times, and any group of Knights had already formed on it once again.

"Just keep shooting." Diana advised him while she and Carmen kept up with their task. "Our next ship is beneath us, we're jumping to my left so get ready!"

Seeing the next ship slowly come out from below them, the four of them jumped down before glancing up at the ship they had just left. It went on a little bit further before it disappeared as if it had never been there.

Carmen kept her eyes glued to Ir Anuk, keeping track of the each ship she moved to and pointing out them out to Diana.

At first it was simple. There was only a single ship for her to track. But as they continued, multiple ships began to appear, offering them choices. Carmen though, didn't allow herself to be distracted by the other ships remained focused on Ir Anuk, remembering the pathway they would have to take.

"Carmen, where are we going from here?" Diana asked as she glanced at the Hunter beside her.

Carmen bit down on her lower lip for a moment, squinting a bit to recall where Ir Anuk had gone. There were three ships approaching them from three different directions. Niko and Tobias were caught up in trying to keep the number of enemies down, and Diana was trying to keep everyone organized. It was all on her shoulders to guide them.

"The one on our right." Carmen declared as she pointed out the one they would be jumping to next.

"Nice." Diana said as before barking the order for Niko and Tobias to follow them to the next ship. "We'll rotate back and forth now Carmen, to keep track of Ir Anuk."

"I don't think…we'll have to." Carmen said slowly as she looked out ahead of them. They could see Ir Anuk way out on the distance, still on the same ship. The Hive stopped spawning around them as well, and gradually the Tombships began to disappear until the ship they were standing on was the only one remaining.

"Did we, make it?" Diana asked softly as Tobias and Niko lowered their weapons.

"It looks like it." Tobias said as he placed his Tlaloc back into the holster on his back.

Niko narrowed his gaze as Ir Anuk now faded away as well, leaving them completely alone now.

"Where'd she go?" Niko voiced his concern as everyone began to look around in search of their target.

"O-kay, this is getting creepy now." Carmen muttered as she edged herself behind Niko.

"What are you hiding behind me for?" He asked her.

"Human shield, just in case." She replied with a cackle.

"Oh, you're going to regret that once we get back to Earth." Niko retorted.

Tobias stifled at laugh at the usual antics between these two, amazed that they could talk so freely despite their current situation. But a suddenly flash caused him to look away from them in search of the source.

"Did you guys see that?" Tobias asked as he turned back to his teammates. But they were gone. _Everything_ …was gone. "Guys?"

Making a full three sixty now, in search of anything, Tobias was shocked to see that his previous setting had vanished along with his teammates. The Tombships, the starry heavens. All of it.

Taking a tentative step forward, Tobias reached for his Tlaloc, but his hand only grasped empty air. Tobias felt his stomach drop at this. What was going on?! Looking down to grab the belt around his torso that his holster was attached to, Tobias discovered that he was no longer wearing his overcoat and slacks. Now he was in polo shirt, with a pair of jeans and a heavy jacket. Why was he dressed like this?

What happened to everyone? His team? His weapons?

"Tobias!" A voice snapped at him, causing him to whirl around. But there was still nothing behind him. Turning once again, it was then Tobias discovered that he had regained some surroundings. He was in large lobby, with many men and women scattered around the room, looking up at a large monitor that was mounted above the reception desk. "Tobias!"

It was the same voice again. But this time, a hand had been dropped on his shoulder which nearly made him jump out of his skin. Glancing over his shoulder, Tobias found a dark haired man standing behind him, a look of concern on his face.

"Are you okay?" He asked Tobias, who blinked a few times before giving him a nod.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Tobias replied before the man pointed up at the monitor.

"The latest news is coming in right now." He said, directing Tobias' attention to the monitor. The room had become deathly silent as the newscast resumed. The camera panned in on the front of the United Nations building in New York where several notable figures from around the globe had gathered. But the President of the United States separated himself from this group of people, stepping toward the podium where he began to speak.

"As I'm sure you all know, three and half days ago an extraterritorial landed off the coast of San Francisco. The Coast Guard attempted to communicate with it, but all attempts failed as it attacked the city of San Francisco." He explained to the audience. "From that point forward, the United States Armed Forces has engaged this enemy several times, and have been unsuccessful in stopping its campaign across our land."

As he spoke, various images were shown to those watching this broadcast. The remains of the Golden Gate Bridge. The ruins of the Space Needle in Seattle. Tobias could hear several gasps around him in response to these pictures.

"An evacuation of the United States has already begun, but after meeting with the UN, we have determined that a full scale evacuation of the Earth is in order." The President declared. However there was uncertainty in his voice, as if he couldn't believe he was saying this either. "Launch sites have been prepared across the eastern hemisphere to take us to the colonies beyond the Earth."

"Are you serious?" The man standing beside Tobias exclaimed. "We're actually going to run?"

"From what?" Tobias asked him. "What's going on?"

"The end of the world, that's what." He replied. "This, _thing_ , came down from space about a week ago. It landed in the ocean, off the west coast of the U.S. And, it just started to slaughter any and everything."

"Well, what is this 'thing'?" Tobias demanded to know. The man pointed back at the monitor again.

Tobias felt his heart jump into his throat at the sight of Oryx hovering over the ruins of a city in an image captured by their satellites.

"Oh my god, I'm back at the Collapse." Tobais said in a whisper, unable to believe what he was seeing.

"The what?"

"Uhh, nothing." Tobias replied he shook his head.

"So this is really it. We're on the run now." The man said with a sigh as he looked at the exit to the lobby where they could see the people working at this facility rushing out of the building. "You should call your wife and make sure she and Adrian made it out of Charlotte."

"How do you know…my wife?" Tobias was dumbfounded as he asked that question. And this caused the man to furrow his brow, giving Tobias an odd look.

"Earth to Tobias, it's me, _Reginald_." He stated as he motioned to himself. "We've be working together here for practically the last decade."

Reginald? Who had said that name before?

"Now come one, the nearest launch station is a few miles from here. We can take one of the transports to it and wait for your family there."

"My family?" Tobias repeated. They were alive?!

Reginald clapped his hands in front of Tobias' face to prevent him from falling into a daze.

"Come on, we have to get moving." He declared, leading Tobias out of the lobby, taking him down the large stairway that led up to the facility. There was a lot of commotion outside as hundreds of people were scrambling into transports. "Wow, everyone's rushing right now. If we don't hurry, we'll have to wait for the next round of transports."

Feeling the cooler temperature now that they were outside, Tobias zipped up his jacket. There was thin layer of snow on the ground, and he could see his breath as he exhaled.

"Where are we?" Tobias asked.

"Moscow, you should know that. You've been coming here for six months every year. Where is your head at today?" Reginald asked him as Tobias came to a stop to check his surroundings. Turning around to look at the large building they had just left, his eyes were drawn upward to the massive white sphere that was hovering over the compound.

'The Traveler?!' Tobias exclaimed. What was it doing here?!

"Tobias, quit day dreaming and get over here!" Reginald hollered at him. He was standing in the doorway leading up into one transport, motioning for the driver to wait for Tobias despite protests from the other passengers. "If we miss this transport it'll be an hour before they get back!"

"I'm coming." Tobias called out as he took one last look at the Traveler before sprinting over to the transport, joining Reginald inside. Every seat had been taken so the two of them had to stand up, holding on to the handle bars that hung from the ceiling.

"Call incoming!" A mechanical voice said suddenly as Tobias felt something vibrating against his chest. "Caller identification, Michelle."

"Oh, she's calling you." Reginald noted with a bit of a smirk as Tobias reached into his jacket, pulling out his small hand held phone. Two options were projected for him, to accept or decline the call. Placing the tip of his finger against 'accept', an earpiece materialized over his right ear, and the first thing he heard was a loud crash causing his heart to skip a beat.

"Hello?" Tobias said immediately, waiting for an answer. "Hello?"

"T-Tobias…" A tender voice said softly. It was indeed his wife! Her name was Michelle. How beautiful.

"Is everything okay, I heard something just now?" Tobias said anxiously, causing Reginald to look toward him with concern.

"That _monster_ , is here." She stated, almost whispering to him.

Tobias felt his chest become tight from this news.

"Are you serious?" Tobias whispered in response, hiding his voice which was beginning to tremble.

Was this what happened to his family? He lost them to Oryx without a fight. He was on one side of the planet and they were on the other, facing certain doom!

"What happened? Weren't you supposed to be on a transport out of there already?" Tobias asked her as she took a pained gasp of air.

"There weren't enough. There were so many people leaving from New York and Florida that a lot of us were stranded here in Charlotte." She explained slowly, causing Tobias to close his hands into tight fists. Tobias bit down on his lower lip, looking up as he struggled to contain his anger. How could such a thing happen?!

"What's the matter?" Reginald asked him, noticing the change in his expression.

"They were left in Charlotte. Right there in the freakin' station!" Tobias said before taking a deep breath to ensure that his anger didn't bubble over.

"You can't be serious." Reginald exclaimed causing Tobias to shake his head with a dark expression.

"Michelle, what's going on over there?" Tobias asked her.

"We were attacked at the station by that monster. Only a few of us survived, but we're trapped now, and we have no idea if that thing is coming back." She explained to him. Tobias then heard a small voice speak to her for a few moments. "Shhh, sweetie. We're alright…we're alright."

Was that…his son?

But before Tobias could ask, several cries rang out.

"Everyone stay low, it's coming back!"

"Don't say a word!"

"Michelle?" Tobias said.

"Tobias, I'm sure you know this already but I just, feel the need to say this again. I love you." Michelle stated.

"Michelle?" Tobias repeated, raising his voice this time. But there was no response. "What's going on? Michelle!?"

"Oh god, it sees us!"

Tobias could hear a loud crash followed by a shriek, then the call came to an abrupt end.

He could only stand there in shock for a moment, blinking his eyes furiously. Did that just happen? Did that, _really_ , just happen? He was absolutely stunned as Reginald leaned toward him a bit to check on him.

"Tobias?" He said, placing a hand on his shoulder

He had gotten so close. He could remember his wife's beautiful face. He had heard her lovely voice. But he would never feel her touch…

Tears began to roll down his cheeks, causing Reginald to assume the worst. Tobias fell to his knees, gaining glances from the other passengers, but Reginald kneeled down beside him while motioning for everyone else to carry on with what they were doing.

"What happened?" Reginald asked him softly.

"They're gone…" Tobias whispered in response, a lump in his throat. Trying to blink back his tears, Tobias still found them running down his cheeks though. He couldn't stop them.

"Tobias, calm down." Reginald whispered to him.

"They shouldn't have been in Charlotte still. I should've gone home to get them." Tobias reasoned softly. "They're gone now and…it's all my fault."

" _Nothing_ , is your fault Tobias!" Reginald said firmly, cutting him off before he could reason any further. "It's not your fault. So please, don't put yourself on a guilt trip. No one could have accounted for-"

Tobias stared straight at Reginald, but his voice was fading away. All he could hear was his heart thumping. Reginald gave him a soft shake, refocusing Tobias on him, but he still couldn't hear the man. Tobias felt his breath become short as he took in a few shaky gasps.

He had just lost…everything. His world was falling apart. His family was gone. They were leaving the Earth. What was he supposed to do?

Noticing that Reginald had jumped away, and all eyes were on him, Tobias looked down at his hands which glowed brightly. Void Light was coursing through them, much to the awe of the passengers.

'I still have, the Light?' Tobias asked himself. 'But how?'

Looking up, Tobias imagined the top of the transport that they were inside of, and then he Blinked to the roof of it where he now stood his feet, needing a moment to establish his balance. He could still channel the Light. It was there within him still. Why it was there though…?

That didn't really matter to him now. He could stop Oryx, right here, right now!

Taking a deep breath, Tobias felt his chest become hot. But this feeling quickly spread throughout his body as became enveloped in light. Closing his eyes for a moment, Tobias remained silent as he felt his skin become more sensitive, the chilling air rushing around him.

Looking down at his appearance, Tobias could see that his casual clothing had been replaced by the white robes he had when he channeled the Radiant Light. He had successfully entered his Radiant Form. And now, he would put Oryx to rest before he could do anything else to the Earth. Rising from off the roof of the transport, Tobias looked to the west and thrusted himself forward, surpassing the speed of sound in an instant.

Within a few moments he was already crossing the Atlantic Ocean, glancing back at the landscape that quickly faded into the horizon. As he crossed over to the western hemisphere, Tobias could sense the Darkness that was likely radiating from Oryx. This was a beacon for him as he flew toward the area where it was the densest. Oryx had to be there.

Reaching to east coast of North America, Tobias raced into the heart of the Darkness, charging over the remains of a city as his target came into view.

Hovering over what was left of Charlotte, Oryx held his cleaver loosely, unimpressed with the inhabitants of Earth. They were by far the most pitiful race he had ever encountered. He couldn't understand what made the Traveler stop here for so long, but this would prove to be its greatest mistake. He would kill the Traveler here.

Oryx perked up a bit, finally sensing something on this planet that actually had a presence. Turning to the east, he only had a moment to realize it was racing toward him before he received a blow to his head that sent him crashing down to the ground. Unharmed from this attack though, Oryx rose up to see one of these human's floating in the air as well, and he could feel the malice within this one.

"Oryx!" Tobias screamed, and in response Oryx hurled his cleaver at Tobias. But Tobias merely batted away the weapon with his forearm despite the immense size of it. Quickly recognizing Tobias' strength, Oryx raised one hand to call back his cleaver which had been sent flying before he burst forward to charge at his opponent. Tobias rushed at Oryx as well, his hands becoming engulfed in a white light as he neared Oryx.

Time seemed to slow down for Tobias as he stared at Oryx. He had done this already. He had fought Oryx. He had killed Oryx! So why was he doing this now?

 _'Yes, why are you doing this Tobias?'_ The Traveler asked him as the scene froze completely. Oryx was roaring, his cleaver raised to cut down Tobias. Meanwhile Tobias had both his hands cocked back, read to unleash the Light at its fullest onto the Taken King.

"He just, killed my family." Tobias responded as he stared at Oryx.

 _'That happened centuries ago Tobias. You know that.'_ The Traveler reasoned with him. _'You wouldn't have these powers otherwise.'_

"Then, what's happening right now?" Tobias asked himself. The Traveler was right. He couldn't have possessed the Radiant Light during the Collapse. The Traveler was still alive back then. So was this some sort of test?

It had to be. But from who? Who would put him in such a situation where he could avenge his family almost immediately? Who would put him in a position to stop the Collapse from taking place? Was any of this even real?

 _"I stopped living in the past." Eva stated. "I was clinging onto things that weren't there anymore."_

 _"You can't let events in the past dictate what you do now." Diana told him._

 _"You can't bottle things up or else you'll end up doing something stupid." Carmen said._

That's right. He was still making the same mistake, despite everything that had been through since becoming a Guardian. He was still thinking about the past when that was no longer his concern.

 _"A world without the Darkness…? I can't even begin to imagine it." Anari said as she looked up in thought._

 _"Maybe if we beat the Darkness we might reach a second Golden Age." Niko pointed out. "I'd love to see that."_

The present and the future was all he needed to think about.

Looking at the scene around him once again, Tobias could see the remains of the city that was in such a state because of Oryx. He then looked at the Taken King who was still frozen in front of him. This fight didn't matter. It wouldn't change anything because it would never happen. He was dreaming…

His surroundings shattered, leaving Tobias dazed and confused as his setting changed dramatically. He was back out in the void of space again, resting with a large room with open walls. It was just like Oryx's throne room back on the High War.

"Where am I?" Tobias asked as he blinked a few times, clearing up his vision completely.

"My my, I didn't expect you to break out of my illusion so quickly." A feminine voice noted, causing Tobias to whirl around. His heart nearly stopped as he stared at the creature that hovered just above the floor behind him. It was similar to a Hive Wizard, but it possessed a trio of glowing green eyes, and it possessed legs as well unlike other Wizards. But its legs were merely a silhouette beneath a cloth like garment that hung from is waist. This was Wizard was smaller than Tobias, looking up at him at the moment. But Tobias' gaze was then drawn to the much large presence behind it.

Ir Anuk was hovering behind this Wizard, looking down at him.

Jumping backward to put some distance between himself and these enemies, Tobias then saw his teammates who had been standing beside him. They were all lined up, remaining completely still as they looked upward.

"Guys, behind you!" Tobias hollered at them, earning a laugh from the small Wizard.

"They can't hear you dear. Each of them is caught in one of my illusions at the moment." She replied as she slowly approached Tobias.

"What did you do to them?!" Tobias demanded as he drew his Tlaloc, taking aim at the Wizard.

"I've been waiting for an opportunity to succeed my brother Oryx, and you Children of the Light proved to be the perfect means to do so." The stated as she rose up, placing herself on Ir Anuk's shoulder.

"Brother?" Tobias exclaimed softly. Was he still dreaming? Or did that Wizard just say it was related to Oryx. "Who are you?"

"There's a time and place for everything sweetheart." She replied with a laugh. "Now is the time to fight."

Tobias raised his weapon again, taking aim at the Wizard, but he was forced to jump to his side to avoid behind hit by a pair of throwing knives. Looking down, Tobias could see that his teammates had begun to move again, but they were walking toward him, activating their most powerful abilities, all of which they aimed at him.

'Oh crap, I'm screwed.' Tobias muttered to himself as he realized he was now fighting more than just the Hive. They had managed to turn _his own_ teammates against him.

A/N

Hello everyone, back with another chapter for you all and I hope you enjoyed it. This next fight is going to be pretty hectic, so buckle your seat belts because you're in for a very wild ride over the course of the next ten chapters or so. Can't wait to get the next part out for you guys.

One thing I forgot to explain back when they were fighting Oryx, was the Crossroads. Toland gave an explanation in the story, but just thought it would make sense to make this as simple as possible.

The jumping ship puzzle in King's Fall, is the Crossroads in my fic. But it applies to the Ascendant Realm as a whole, not just the High War where Oryx was. Think of the Tombships as a means to get to any Hive Throne World, or any of the Ruptures the Hive use around the galaxy.

As always, thanks for the support and clicks everyone, and I'll see you again soon!


	33. Lair of Deception II

**Chapter 33**

* * *

"Come on guys, I don't know what you're seeing but it's just an illusion!" Tobias screamed at his teammates, but his cries fell on deaf ears. Raising his tanto blade to parry away Niko's, Tobias raised his leg and gave the Hunter a kick to force him back. "Come on Niko, I know you're strong enough to break free!"

Tobias had been locked in combat with all three of his teammates for several minutes now, evading or blocking their attacks as best he could. Striking them down was out of the question at the moment. He could feel how weak the Light was in here, just like on the Dreadnaught. A serious injury could mean death, and death for them here was _permanent_. His only option now was to try his best to entertain them until they broke free from the illusions like he had.

"That one is quite resilient, isn't he?" The Wizard noted as it peered down at Tobias from Ir Anuk's shoulder. He had been grazed and nicked by the powerful attacks his teammates had unleashed upon him, but this didn't seem to affect him. He was determined to see to it that his teammates escaped the illusions as well.

"That is the one who killed father." Ir Anuk stated.

"I see. So he is the new Vessel of the Light. It's no surprise he broke free from my illusion then." The Wizard said. "But he wouldn't dare unleash his power on his teammates, so he will fall eventually. He can only entertain us for so long."

* * *

Niko blinked, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands for a moment. Obviously something was wrong with his eyes. Opening them again, Niko looked around a second time, but his setting was still the same. He as in an amphitheater, with tall stone columns that were decorated with palm branches and the people that filled the seats were all dressed in white robes. He was back in ancient Athens!

'How did I…get back here?' Niko asked himself.

"The jury has decided, that Nikolai Kostas, is guilty treason against the city of Athens." The judge declared, causing Niko's eyes to widen as his attention became focused on the man in front of him.

"Wait, what?" Niko exclaimed as he realized where he was. The day that his execution had been decided.

"You are to be put to death tomorrow." The judge continued.

Niko looked down for a moment. Did he travel back in time? How did he get back home? And if he did somehow return, that meant his beloved was here…

'Angela.' Niko said as he looked up. He had to see her!

All of a sudden a two pairs of large hands took a hold of his arms, restraining him as the audience that filled the amphitheater clamored. Niko began to squirm, trying to break free from the grip of the two guards that had taken a hold of him, but they were just as strong as he was, and they had no trouble restraining him together.

"Get moving." One of them barked at him, earning a sharp glance from Niko. But in doing so, Niko caught a glimpse of the tumultuous crowd behind him. It was clear that the court's ruling had left some people confused. Others were outraged, but in the middle of all of this, Niko's gaze became fixated on one man.

He was an older man, clothed in the finest linens as proof of his wealth and power. But the snide smirk he wore made Niko's blood begin to boil. He would never forget this man. The father of his beloved.

Alastor.

They made eye contact briefly, and Alastor's smirk grew in size. He then raised one hand, giving Niko a wave as the guards holding him began to push him forward, taking him toward the exit of the amphitheater. Waiting for them outside was four horse drawn chariots, the largest of which Niko was tossed into. The two guards then bound his wrists and ankles together to ensure that there would be no resistance from Niko during their trip.

"Hyah!" One of the guards bellowed as he cracked his whip. The horses immediately took off, and the other three chariots followed behind them as well.

Resting on his side at the back of the chariot, Niko looked up at the two guards that stood in front of him.

"You guys, you fought in the war too." Niko said to them. "You know this is all a lie."

"We're just following orders." One of them said in response.

"Whose orders? I've done nothing that would make the court come to such a decision on their own." Niko exclaimed, hoping to shed some light on the situation.

One of the guards opened their mouth to speak now, but the other gave him a nudge with his elbow before shaking his head. Niko could tell that they were keeping quiet, but why?

It wasn't long before Niko found himself resting against the far wall of his cell, unable to find a comfortable spot on the rocky floors. His cell was nothing more than a small cave that had been barred off. The floor was hard, and as the sun dipped into the horizon, his cell grew dark. There was no fire or anything to provide him with light or warmth. He was just alone and cold.

But why was this happening? He had participated in the Peloponnesian War, and they had returned victorious. How could he be charged with treason for defeating Sparta?

"Psst." There was a small whisper, causing Niko to perk up. But in the darkness, he couldn't see the person at the entrance to his cell.

"Hello?" Niko asked softly.

"Niko. I'm sure you're wondering what's going on." The voice began.

"Hell yeah I am." Niko responded.

"No one here is going to tell you though. They've all been paid to keep quiet about this."

"By who?"

"Alastor." The voice stated. "He's paid off everyone. From every member in the court, down the last guard that'll see you before your execution."

Niko knew Alastor didn't think highly of him. Alastor didn't approve of the relationship that Niko had with his daughter. But to go so far as to have him executed…?

"Why is he doing this?" Niko asked, but there was no response. "Hello?"

There was nothing but silence, so Niko could only assume that they had left him. But now he knew everything that he had needed.

This was Alastor's doing. Exhaling, Niko felt a surge of power run through his body for only an instant. But this power manifested itself in his right hand, as nothing more than a small crackle of electricity. Closing his hand into a fist, Niko shut his eyes.

Feeling a pair of hands grab onto his clothing and hoist him up, Niko opened his eyes to find one of the guards dragging him out of his cell. It took Niko's eyes a few moments to adjust to the sunlight as he was tossed out of his cell. It was already morning!

Once his vision finally cleared up though, he found himself resting in the middle of seven soldiers. All of them were wielding large sabers and clad in battle armor. They didn't want him to even think about fighting back.

"It's execution time." One of the soldiers declared as he pointed his weapon at Niko.

"So you all were paid off too?" Niko asked them as he rose to his feet.

"That's none of your concern." One of them stated before stepping toward Niko, but one of his partners stepped in front of him, raising a hand for him to wait.

"He's as good as dead anyway. Why not fill him in?" He suggested.

"So it's true." Niko stated, receiving a nod from them.

"Alastor lined all of our pockets with all of the gold we could want." This soldier explained to Niko.

"But why?" Niko asked.

"Are you really that dense? Think about it."

"The king himself was going to handpick you as general of our armies once Alastor stepped down."

"Plus I'm sure he doesn't want his daughter running off with you either."

"You're threatening to take everything that man had gained. You drove him to do this."

All of the soldiers were speaking to him at once, showering him with reasons to explain Alastor's motivation, but this only frustrated Niko. What gave Alastor the right to all of this?

To take Niko's life just to preserve his livelihood…that was just, wrong!

Niko raised his head, letting out a scream to the skies above. This silenced all of the soldiers at once, causing them to cringe as well from the sheer volume of his voice as it bellowed. Several crows that had been resting in the trees below took flight, startled from the sudden noise as well. After a few moments he lowered his voice, and opening his eyes again, they were almost…electric. But this went unnoticed by the soldiers that stood around him.

"Alright big fella, this is the end now. Rest in peace." The soldier declared as all of them readied their weapons now.

All at once, they lunged forward, thrusting their blades at Niko who looked around at them with wide eyes. This wasn't going to end here.

All of them had slowed down considerably, giving Niko ample time to study each of them so that he could plan a course of action. They had covered almost every escape route he could use. _Almost_ , all of them.

There was a small gap between two of the soldiers approaching on his right, and he would use this to his advantage. Niko sprung at the two soldiers he had been watching, turning his body to slip through their blades without even being touched. All of them stared in shock that Niko had actually escaped their assault.

The first of the soldiers to shake away their astonishment dashed at Niko whose back was turned them. Raising his saber, he jumped with the intention of using all of his weight to sever one of his Niko's arms. But Niko took one small step to the side to evade this attack without even seeing it. Then Niko grabbed the hilt of his saber with one hand while delivering his elbow into face of the soldier, forcing him to release his weapon.

Now in possession of a sword, Niko swung out at the soldier beside him, separating his head from his body with just one clean action. The remaining soldiers stood frozen now at the sight of Niko as he gained a blue hue, and the saber he held now began to crackle with electricity as it glowed as well.

"What the hell?!" One of them exclaimed as Niko seemed to flicker for a moment, raising his weapon slightly. Niko then lowered his sword as he began to walk away from the group. All six of the remaining soldiers collapsed to the ground with several deep wounds that had been inflicted onto them in an instant.

"Alastor, _you will regret this_." Niko stated softly.

* * *

Rubbing her eyes a bit to clear up her vision, Carmen furrowed her brow as she pulled her hands away from her eyes. They were smaller than she remembered…How did _that_ happen?

Then she looked up, checking her surroundings. She was in her old bedroom, in the small home that she spent her early childhood in. Throwing off the sheets that were on her, Carmen climbed down from her bed and made her way over to the exit of the room. But as she arrived at the door, she saw that she was barely the same height as the doorknob, and she was quickly realizing what was going on.

'No, it couldn't be that day…' Carmen reasoned with herself as she opened up the door, stepping into the short corridor. It led to their kitchen, and as Carmen approached this room she could smell the breakfast that her mother was preparing.

"Carmen, I hope you got out of bed chica!" Her mother, Victoria, called out to her. Carmen stood in the entryway to the kitchen, her mother's back turned to her. She then spotted her baby sister Maria, seated in her high chair beside the table, cooing to herself.

"I'm uh…already here mom." Carmen responded as she stepped in now, heading for the table.

"Wonderful, and your _papi_ will home any minute now." Her mother said, motioning for Carmen to have a seat. "I'll be done in a minute."

"Where did he go?" Carmen asked her.

"Last night, there was some activity outside of the settlement. But I doubt it was anything we have to worry about." Victoria said as she glanced at her daughter, deciding to change the subject. "I can't believe you're eight years old today."

Her mother had turned to give Carmen a smile, which she returned nervously. But now she had heard all the information she needed. This was indeed the day she dreaded most. The day she lost her life to the Fallen.

"Um, mom…? Is there any way that we could go out of the settlement today?" Carmen asked, causing her mother to tilt her head as she looked at her.

"What for _chica_?" Victoria asked her in return.

"I-I don't know, a nature walk." Carmen suggested, shrugging her shoulders. This caused her mother to laugh.

"Since when do you care about nature?" Victoria inquired with a grin.

"What? I always have." Carmen exclaimed. "I like trees and…stuff."

Victoria only snickered for a few moments, curious as to what her daughter was up to now. She would see how far Carmen was willing to go with this.

"Either way Carmen, you'll have to talk to your father about that." Victoria stated.

"Aww, really? But you know he'll say no!" Carmen pointed out to her.

"Maybe if you talk to him about it Carmen." Her mother replied.

"That's just a waste of time. We both know what he's going to say." Carmen reasoned with her.

"Then I guess you're not too serious about this then." Victoria retorted, eager to see how Carmen would respond now.

"So then, what can I say?" Carmen asked. What could she say to convince her father that they should leave the settlement?

"Maybe you should mention that it is your eighth birthday." Victoria suggested. "And that rather than some fancy gift, you want to spend some time with us."

Carmen sat there for a moment, thinking about Victoria's pitch. That sounded pretty reasonable! But would something like that work?

Suddenly though, the front door to their home was thrown open, causing both Carmen and Victoria to head over to the entrance to the kitchen. They could see Carmen's large and burly father gasping for breath as he barged into the house, rushing into his room.

" _Cariño_ , what's the matter?" Victoria asked as she approached the entrance to their bedroom she shared with her husband. He was on his stomach at the moment, pulling something out from under their bed. It was a locked case which he lifted and placed on the bed, pulling a necklace out from under his shirt with a key tied to it. Unlocking the case, he opened it up, revealing a sizable shotgun that had been contained within it.

"Get the girls, and get going." He stated to her as he opened the chamber of the weapon, loading it with ammunition.

"What-what's going on?" She asked him.

"The Fallen are coming. You have to go, now."

"And go where?" Victoria demanded to know.

"We noticed the Fallen were beginning to gather a few days ago. There weren't many options, so we contacted the Vanguard and arranged for this settlement to be relocated to the Last City." He explained to her as he now began to head back for the front door.

Victoria was speechless now. She had lived in this settlement for decades now with her husband. The people that lived here had survived outside of the Last City for ages, and they had grown accustomed to living without any assistance from the Vanguard. The fact that the men of this settlement had turned to the Guardians only meant that this was beyond anything they could stand against.

Seeing the expression chance on her mother's face, Carmen could tell that the Fallen attack was about to begin. She was too late to change anything! If only she had woken up earlier…would that have even changed anything?

"Carmen, get your shoes on, we're leaving." Her mother stated as her father approached the open front door. Hearing a stomach churning scream, her father peered outside, spotting the Fallen flooding into the settlement.

"There's no time, go out the back!" Her father bellowed as he slammed the door, placing his back against it.

Carmen gasped, her blood becoming cold as the familiar scene unfolded in front of her. Her mother was already in the kitchen, collecting little Maria from her high chair and making her way to the back entrance of their home. Her father was leaning against the front door, waiting for the inevitable. And once again, she couldn't do anything to stop it!

"Carmen, go with your mother!" Her father snapped at her, motioning for Carmen to follow Victoria.

"I…I" Carmen muttered as she glanced back at her mother and sister, and then to her father. She was filled with uncertainty. She couldn't bear to see this happen again, but what could she do to stop it? She was powerless.

"Carmen, you can't do anything here. Just follow her mother!" Her father barked before cringing as something from the outside slammed itself against the door. "GO!"

Even though her father had braced himself for the next hit, he was tossed aside as the door was thrown open, revealing a Fallen Captain. It howled as it stepped into their home, stretching out its sharp claws.

"Carmen, hurry!" Her mother screamed from the back door, Maria in her arms. It was everything Carmen knew. But…she had to make a difference this time. She couldn't let this happen! Not again!

Everyone present was astonished to see Carmen turn orange, becoming consumed in fire. Then she reached out in the air, taking a hold of the grey pistol that had formed. As soon as she had a proper grasp on this weapon, it became engulfed in fire just like her. She took aim, and didn't hesitate to pull the trigger.

Resting on his side, her father was in awe at the sight of the Fallen Captain being reduced to ash by none other than his daughter. And as he made eye contact with her, her once dark eyes were now a fiery amber color as she glared at where the Captain once stood.

"Ca-Carmen, are you alright?!" He exclaimed as he scrambled over to his daughter.

Carmen though, could only stare at the Golden Gun she held in shock. She could use the ability signature to Gunslingers. She had her powers! She could fight! And she wouldn't let the Fallen threaten everyone that she loved ever again!

"I'm going to… _kill them all_." Carmen stated darkly, clutching her weapon.

* * *

Diana rose up from floor, her head spinning. She was struggling to get a grasp on her current location. The only thing she could identify was the color red, and that was because it was everywhere. What was going on?

Hearing a scream, Diana was forced to come to her senses as she got back on her feet, recognizing her position. She was back on the Amethyst Reef Station…during the Reef Wars. Fire was everywhere in the room around her, but the first thing that caught her attention were the bodies scattered around the room, the floor around them stained red. She then noticed some movement.

Across the room, there was a Fallen Baron accompanied by a group of Vandals, all of which surrounded the only civilian that was still alive.

"Please, don't kill me!" He begged as the Vandals raised their weapons. Before they could fire though, one of the Vandals slumped to the ground with a bullet in its head, causing the entire group to turn around in search of the opposition.

Standing on her feet with her sidearm raised, Diana quickly sized up the group as they now focused on her. The Baron howled, pointing at her which caused the surrounding Vandals to rush into action, rushing at her.

There were two Vandals left, along with the Baron. This was nothing she couldn't handle. Ducking beneath the first Vandal who had pounced at her, Diana then engaged the second one, blocking a double right hook that it had thrown at her with both its right arms. Diana then buried her knee into its abdomen, causing the Vandal to hunch over before she spun around it. Now standing behind the Vandal, Diana kicked its back which sent it stumbling into its partner. She then fired away with her sidearm, pelting them with bullets which caused both of them to drop to the floor with a thud.

With Diana's back turned to it, the Baron didn't waste this opportunity as it rushed at her, raising its dual sabers to impale her. Diana gasped as she felt the blades penetrate through her torso, her vision becoming blurry for a moment. The Baron then removed its blades, dropping her down on her side.

Diana drew a pained gasp, biting down on her lip in frustration for getting so caught up with just two Vandals. Looking down at the wound on her torso, Diana placed her hand on it, expecting to see it return stained red from her blood. But the wound was dry. In fact, the pain was fading already as well. Raising her upper body a bit, Diana saw that there was no wound now, despite being skewered by a pair of sabers. It was as if she had never been hurt.

She was…still a Guardian.

Peeking over her shoulder, Diana could see that the Baron had already turned away from her, assuming that she was going to bleed out. Now she would return the favor.

Returning to her feet, Diana unsheathed the two daggers that were strapped to her waist, dashing toward the Baron's back was turned. Raising one of the blades, she buried it into the back of the beast, causing it to howl in pain as before it whirled around in search of its attacker. But after spinning around, it failed to find Diana who was in the air above it. Dropping down onto the shoulders of the Baron, Diana quickly closed her legs around its neck and threw herself backward, sending both of them to the floor.

The Baron roared in disapproval, reaching for Diana with one of its hands, she quickly took the remaining dagger she held and pinned its hand against the floor. The Baron began to flail itself wildly in pain as Diana crushed its windpipe, but she was far from finished with her opponent.

A purple aura began to grow around Diana as she placed her hands on the head of the Baron.

"Annihilate." Diana whispered before the two of them became engulfed in Void Light. Once the light faded away, Diana found herself standing on her own two feet looking down at the palms of her hands. She was very experienced channeling Void Light, but this was the first time this power felt so foreign to her. As if she was experiencing this for the first time.

Shaking her head a bit, Diana focused on the task at hand.

 _"Our family. None of them made it off of Amethyst save for you…They're all gone."_

Diana could vividly remember the moment that Petra had shared that information with her. It was the start of a whirlwind of events for Diana that eventually led to her death and new life as a Guardian. But now she was back on Amethyst. She could stop all that from happening.

"Thank you so much!" The Awoken civilian exclaimed as he rested at Diana's feet, an expression of awe on his face. He couldn't believe that he was still alive despite having so many Fallen surrounding him just moments ago.

"Get to an escape pod." Diana said as she motioned to his means of escape that were on the opposite side of the room.

"But what about you?" He asked as she turned away, heading toward the exit.

"I still have lives to save." She stated before rushing off into the corridor. She could remember exactly where her family had been lodging on Amethyst. If she hurried, she could find them before things got too crazy.

"Any civilians within the station, evacuate immediately!" The reminder came over the intercom again as Diana sprinted through the halls. If she was remembering correctly, there were transports from the Royal Guard waiting outside the station for the escape pods. As long as she could get her family to one of them, they would be safe.

Arriving at the residential area, Diana could see that there were numerous Paladins, along with a member of the Royal Guard leading them. Approaching the group, they immediately saluted to her.

"What's the situation here?" Diana asked as the guard motioned for her to follow them as their small squadron began to move.

"This area has already been evacuated. All of the civilians have been moved to a nearby hangar. We've run out escape pods in this area so we've contacted the Royal Guard to send a larger transport her to pick them up." The guard explained, getting a nod of approval from Diana.

"For the time being we just have to patrol the areas connecting to the hanger. The Fallen are all over the station, stay on guard." One of the Paladins added as they arrived at the hangar where Diana could feel the unrest in the crowd. The attack on the station had happened to suddenly, but they were fortunate that the Paladins on board responded so readily. Countless lives could've been lost if the Awoken weren't so protective of their domain.

Taking a moment to scan through the crowd, Diana eventually spotted a group of familiar faces, allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief. Her family had made it.

Glancing at the guard who stood beside her, Diana watched as she looked up, nodding her head in response to the message she was receiving.

"The transport is coming in now. We don't have a lot of time though." The guard stated as she called for everyone's attention. The Paladins took charge in giving direction to the crowd as the transport arrived, landing in the hanger for the civilians to board.

"Don't run over each other, there's room for everyone!" The Paladins called out as the transport was quickly filled. Once they were sure that everyone was on board, the Paladin's gave the pilot the all clear to disembark.

"We'll be heading to another residential area now, are you coming with us?" The guard asked Diana as she watched the transport rise up, exiting the hangar now.

"Yeah, I'll help out." Diana replied with a nod before wincing at the sound of static across their comms. "Ouch, what was that?"

"Interference." The guard replied. "This is Captain Tano, what's going on out there?"

"Fallen reinforcements. We're taking a beating out here. They have a Ketch approaching the station now. We don't have the numbers to engage them!" One of the pilots outside called out.

"Reinforcements." Tano said softly before whirling around to look out the hangar where they could see the transport journeying out. "Call back that transport, they'll get annihilated out there!"

They all turned, barking out orders at the pilot over the comms to return to the hanger. But before the pilot could even make sense of what they were saying, he was dead. The transport exploded as a Fallen Skiffs plowed right through it. Diana and the Paladins stared wide eyed at this scene as the fiery explosion faded away, leaving behind scrap metal and the charred remains of the victims within.

Diana felt her heart stop as she dropped to her knees. Even though she was here. Even though she had found them. They all died anyway…

Diana let her head drop, enraged that she hadn't put any forethought into what was taking place. She hadn't done anything to affect the outcome. All she had done was put herself in a position to witness their deaths now. It felt as though the room was beginning to spin as swayed back and forth.

' _Yes…let the hatred consume you._ ' A voice whispered to her as Diana closed her hands into tight fists. She wasn't even trying to channel Void Light yet she could feel it traveling through her body, like never before! It like someone had opened a floodgate as this power enveloped her.

"Whoa, what's going on?!" The Paladins exclaimed as they jumped away from Diana. The air around her had become heavy as a dark purple aura began to swirl around her, lifting her into the air.

It was though Diana became ignited in Void Light before she burst out of the hanger into the dead of space, looking around at the battle that was taking place outside of the station. She could see the Fallen spacecrafts bombarding the station, shooting down any Awoken ships that tried to intervene. And approaching the station was the enormous Fallen Ketch.

 _"_ I will, _destroy them all."_ Diana stated as she charged toward the Fallen Ketch.

* * *

Tobias drew in a few deep breaths as he looked around at his teammates who surrounded him. His predicament was getting worse by the second as he shot a glare at the Ir Anuk and the small Wizard that was seated on her shoulder.

He had been doing everything he could to avoid his teammates as he tried to develop a plan. But they were steadily making this task more difficult.

Fighting alongside them, Tobias had seen each of them annihilate their opponents on different battlefields, endlessly spamming their abilities with no regard for their opponents. But now he was on the receiving end of this. This was nothing like the spars he had-had with them from time to time. They were actually trying to kill him here.

Diana darted forward, approaching Tobias from his blind spot where she threw out a side kick into his torso. Taking this blow, Tobias stumbled a bit which left him wide open for Niko to jump at him, slamming his knee into chest. Tobias groaned as he hunched over in pain, but Niko followed up with an uppercut to his chin, stunning Tobias so that he had no response for the haymaker that sent him to the floor.

"Oh, that one looked like it hurt." The Wizard chortled as she observed the battle between Tobias and his teammates. Jumping back to his feet, Tobias was glad that his helmet had absorbed most of the blow from Niko. Niko's physical strength was second to none, and Tobias was certain that Niko could've knocked his head clean off his shoulders if not for his helmet.

"Damn, I have to do something to snap them out of this." Tobias muttered, recalling the statement from the Wizard earlier.

 _"They can't hear you dear. Each of them is caught in one of my illusions at the moment."_

His teammates had been unresponsive to his pleas. It was obvious they couldn't hear him, but how did they end up like this? Who could do something like this?

"You called Oryx your brother. Just who are you?!" Tobias shouted at the Wizard, but movement out of the corner of his eyes caught his attention. Niko, Carmen and Diana had all dashed at him, ready to unleash another combination of hits on him. However, they all became frozen in place the Wizard raised one hand, as if to halt all of their actions.

"Since you _have_ served your purpose for me, I will grant you this much." The Wizard began as began to float once again, lowering herself to the floor. "I am Savathun the Witch Queen, master of deception. As I said, Oryx is my brother."

"So you've come to avenge him." Tobias concluded, gaining a chuckle from Savathun.

"On the contrary. I hold no grudge against you for killing him. I actually must commend you for completing this task." She responded, surprising Tobias. How could she be thankful that they had killed her brother?! "Now…I must collect the power you all have gained from my brother."

"What do you mean? We didn't gain anything from killing Oryx." Tobias stated.

"Oh, you Children of the Light are so innocent. You couldn't even begin to understand the repercussions of what you have done." Savathun responded with a soft chuckle. "You stepped into our domain, a realm where only those who have power, and seek more of it will remain standing. You showed your strength, conquered one of our strongest, and then left his throne vacant. For doing such a thing you've gained the attention of the entirety of the Hive Pantheon."

Tobias only furrowed his brow. None of this was making sense to him.

"So there are others, that are as strong as Oryx?" Tobias questioned, but Savathun waved off his question.

"Unfortunately, that's all of the talking I'm in the mood for." Savathun stated as she lowered her hand. His teammates began to move again, and Tobias found himself being swarmed by them once again.

Raising his forearms, Tobias blocked a punch from both Diana and Carmen, and summoning all of his strength, threw them away from before staring up at Savathun and Ir Anuk. If his teammates were locked into these illusions, then he would have to eliminate the source of them.

Summoning his rocket launcher, Tobias took a hold of the weapon as it was placed on his shoulder, already prepped for fire. Quickly taking aim at Ir Anuk's shoulder were Savathun rested, Tobias fired a projectile at them. Neither of them bothered to move as it closed in, exploding as it made contact with Ir Anuk which left a large cloud of black smoke.

But rather than check to see if this attack had done anything to Savathun, Tobias had to grab his tanto to parry a pair of throwing knives from Carmen. Upon completing this action, Tobias whirled around to block Niko's blade now.

"Oh, you guys are being so annoying right now." Tobias muttered as he batted away Niko's blade a few times before the Hunter retreated, leaving Tobias a bit confused. But it didn't take him long to realized that Diana was on the attack now, firing at him with her fusion rifle. Diving to his side to avoid being hit, Tobias rolled across the floor a few times before he could transition right back to his feet where he actually had a moment to glance up at Savathun now that the smoke had cleared away.

Low and behold, Ir Anuk and Savathun were completely unaffected, still observing him as he fought with his teammates.

'Okay then, looks like I'll have to pull out all the stops.' Tobias said as he recalled his training with the Traveler. He couldn't have pictured a better situation to bring out the Radiant Light than this one.

Diana, Niko and Carmen all jumped at him together, but Tobias clapped his hands together, creating a thunderous boom and a shockwave that blasted away the three of them from him.

"Oh, what's this?" Savathun noted as Tobias became engulfed in the Light. His robes and gear became pure white as he now shined brilliantly. Savathun nodded slowly, impressed that she could feel the power of the Light despite the fact that they were present in her Throne World.

Tobias separated his hands, taking a moment to stare at them before looking down at his clothing. He was completely white again, just like the previous times he had used the Radiant Light. Looking up at Savathun now, Tobias smirked at bit as he bent his knees and launched himself at her. In an instant he had closed the distance between them, allowing Tobias to reel back his hand to deliver a punch to Savathun. But his hand met with an invisible barrier that surrounded her which stopped his approach.

"Ah, ah, ah." Savathun said as she shook a finger at him. But this didn't stop Tobias.

Pushing forward even harder now, the barrier surrounding Savathun became visible as he applied more pressure to it. Both Savathun and Ir Anuk were surprised by this, and then, the barrier cracked. Her shield shattered as Tobias burst forward with all his might, snatching Savathun off of Ir Anuk's shoulder and pinning her against the ground a fair distance from everyone else.

Holding her neck with one hand, Tobias raised his other and surrounded it with Void Light, preparing to trap her within the vortex of a Nova Bomb. But as he lowered his arm to unleash this power, there was a flash of light.

"Uh, what the." Tobias mumbled as he stumbled backward, his vision blurry. What the heck just happened?

Blinking furiously, Tobias vision came back enough for him to see the upper body of Savathun floating in front of him, but her lower half was missing. Did he do that? He couldn't recall what had happened after calling for some Void Light just a few seconds ago, but clearly he must have landed a clean blow on her. But Savathun shrieked at him in now, as she became surrounded by a red aura, causing the room to quake.

"Now you've gone and done it!" Savathun screamed at him as her lower body began to regenerate, replacing it as if it had never been lost. Only two people had ever succeeded in laying a hand on her in combat, and that was her two siblings. Yet…this mere human had done the same! How could this be?! "Your allies will pay the price for this!"

Raising her hand once again, Niko, Carmen and Diana all dropped to their knees, holding their heads as they cried out in pain.

"What are you doing to them?!" Tobias hollered at Savathun as she rose up into the air again, returning to Ir Anuk who had approached them.

"Your friends have been reliving the day they lost their lives as people. But I had granted them to opportunity to take vengeance of those who threatened them. Now though, each of them is suffering because of you, but out of the four of you, your pain will be the worst!" Savathun stated as she pointed at him.

His teammates became silent now as they stood up straight. Niko drew his tanto, but unlike their previous engagements, Arc Light was coursing through him. Carmen became engulfed in flames as she summoned her Golden Gun, and Diana's open palms became lit with Void Light.

All three of them were serious now. Fighting as if their life was depending on it. He could only imagine what they must have been seeing in these illusions.

Niko dashed forward with the increased agility from Ace Blade, but it was nothing Tobias couldn't track thanks to the Radiant Light. Catching Niko's forearm to stop his attack, Tobias spun to toss the Hunter away from him before he focused on Carmen and Diana who jumped at him together, unleashing their abilities onto him. Sprinting away, Tobias dodged their attacks handily, impressed with his speed while in this form.

Coming skidding to a halt on his feet, Tobias looked up at Ir Anuk and Savathun who had taken some distance from the group of Guardians. They must have been expecting this fight to escalate.

Noticing that Niko was approaching him again, Tobias grabbed his tanto and spun around to block Niko's attack once again. But as their blades met, Niko was sent flying backward with a shout of pain. The Hunter hit the ground rolling like a rag doll, eventually coming to a stop where he remained motionless.

Tobias stared at Niko with wide eyes, shocked that Niko had been sent flying so far. He only intended to block at attack. He had only put in a little force to make sure he wasn't overpowered by Niko, but to send him so far…

' _Tobias, try to hold back a little._ ' The Traveler said to him.

'I was though.' He replied.

' _Even more. The gap in power between yourself and your teammates is very large at the moment. You could risk seriously hurting them or worse_.' The Traveler pointed out.

Tobias sighed inwardly with relief as Niko began to return to his feet. At the very least he hadn't hurt him seriously. But now Tobias knew that he needed immediate results in this battle. A prolonged fight would only give him more opportunities to unintentionally hurt his teammates.

He needed a way, to immobilize them all, for just a moment so that he could go all out on Savathun.

'What about that stasis field thing you were telling me about? Why are they still moving?' Tobias asked the Traveler within him, realizing that one of his newest abilities wasn't doing a thing for him right now.

' _It is in effect. Your teammates have simply nullified it with their Light_.' The Traveler responded.

'They can do that?!' Tobias exclaimed.

' _You have the freedom to strength the effect of the field on different targets. By applying more weight to them so to speak, you'll be able to freeze them_.' The Traveler explained. ' _It's clear to me though that each of them are ready to fight through whatever you do them, so be careful with how much you apply to them_.'

'Alright, I can do this.' Tobias said as he stared at his teammates. He would stop all of them in their tracks, and then finish off Savathun to free them. Hopefully this would be as easy as it sounded.

Taking a deep breath, Tobias expanded his Light, causing him to glow even brighter as he forced Ir Anuk and Savathun to shield their eyes. Bathing the room in Light, Tobias gave a shout as he focused on Diana, Niko and Carmen, and he felt a small portion of his strength disappear. But as he looked toward his teammates now, he found them all lying face down on the ground. All three of them remained motionless thankfully. This was his chance.

Glancing over his shoulder at the due of Ir Anuk and Savathun behind him, Tobias turned to face them now, ready to take down both of them. But his trio of teammates all began to scream, quickly gaining his attention.

"NO!" Diana screamed as she fought against the heavy force that rested on top of her. It was like someone had placed two metric tons on her back in an effort to keep her down. But this wasn't enough to stop her.

Slowly, she, Niko and Carmen began to rise back to their feet, leaving Tobias astonished. Why were they fighting so stubbornly? Just what were they seeing in these illusions that made them so desperate? He was only trying to save them, but immobilizing them must have turned their illusions into nightmares.

"I'm sorry guys. This is only for a little while, so just stay down!" Tobias shouted at them as he extended a hand toward them. A distorted and transparent pillar was dropped down onto each of them, slamming them all back to the floor once again, but this time it was clear that they wouldn't be moving.

He would make their suffering end as quickly as possible as he returned his gaze to Savathun and Ir Anuk. Clapping his hands together once again, Tobias' hands became surrounded in Void Light as he summoned a bow and arrow. Taking aim with this weapon at the floor in front of his opponents, Tobias released his hold on the bowstring and let the arrow fly.

Landing just below Ir Anuk and Savathun, the arrow of Void Light anchored itself to the floor before throwing out a pair of tethers, latching onto Ir Anuk with ease. But Savathun swung her hand, dashing away the tether that had tried to capture her before looking at where Tobias had previously been standing. He was gone though.

"I'm up here." Tobias said as he floated above Savathun with a Golden Gun in hand, aimed down at her. Recognizing this weapon as something Carmen had used earlier against Tobias, Savathun quickly abandoned her spot on Ir Anuk's shoulder as he pulled the trigger. Ir Anuk's entire arm was incinerated from the beam of white flames, leaving her to scream in pain as Savathun stared at Tobias. He was definitely leaving up to his status as the person who killed Oryx.

Savathun's shadow on the floor began to expand first, and then it actually rose up from the ground, extending toward Tobias. Morphing into multiple hands as it raced toward the Guardian, Tobias found himself entrapped within Savathun's shadow as she dragged him down to the floor.

"My original intention was for you to best your teammates, and gather all of my brother's power into you so that I could claim all of it. But you're proving to be a greater foe than I had anticipated." Savathun explained as she approached Tobias, her three eyes twinkling with a green light.

"You'll have to do better than this then." Tobias said as he threw out both his arms, shattering the grasp Savathun's shadow had on him. Noticing as Tobias' Light became electric around him, Savathun took note of how much power he was gathering into his right hand which began to crackle with electricity. Tobias then leapt into the air, cocking his fist back as his whole body became coated in Arc Light.

As Tobias neared Savathun, he couldn't help but be amazed with the Radiant Light. While he was using it, he had mastery over both Arc and Solar Light, allowing him to confidently use a Fist of Havoc for the first time. And he was certain that this devastating blow would be enough to finish of Savathun. But there was a sudden chill that passed over the entire room before Tobias was blinded sided and sent to the floor, shocked that something had hit him.

"Ho ho, what do we have here?" Savathun noted as her eyes became fixated on the person that had intercepted Tobias and knocked him aside despite his fearsome power.

It was Diana, standing on her feet again, with her arms hanging limply on at her sides, focused on Tobias. A black aura surrounded her though, gradually expanding. As she took a step forward, the floor beneath her sunk in a bit as proof that despite the weight Tobias had put on her, she was still willing to fight.

"You've got to be kidding me." Tobias exclaimed as he stared at her, getting back on his feet. Diana flexed her fingers, which became absorbed in Void Light as she went to attack Tobias. "Diana, stay down!"

Tobias had a brief moment to look out of the corner of his eyes, where he could see that Niko and Carmen were still on the floor. They were still down, yet Diana still insisted on trying to fight. What could be driving her to such an extreme? And why did her Light feel so…dark?

Raising his hand once again, Tobias knew that he couldn't afford to have any sort of distraction. That could be the difference between success and utter defeat. Dropping his hand, Tobias increased the weight on Diana tenfold, but it was in that moment that she vanished from his sight, slipping into a seam in space.

'Oh…crap.' Tobias said softly as a second seam opened up in front of him. Diana had Blinked to him instantaneously, reaching out toward Tobias with one hand. Placing it on his shoulder, Tobias could only gasp as his demise unfolded.

Just the weight from Diana's hand snapped his shoulder, dislocating it. But this pain was quickly forgotten as Diana unleashed a burst of Void Light onto him, followed closely by the pillar he had summoned being dropped down onto both of them.

' _Tobias!_ ' The Traveler screamed as he and Diana hit the floor, being pummeled into a sizable crater around them.

Tobias couldn't even describe the pain he was experiencing. Everything was broken, shattered, destroyed, but only for a few moments. Tobias though had blacked out while the Radiant Light restored him physically, but then it faded away, leaving him in his normal state.

"Hmm, that was interesting." Savathun said as she studied Diana. During that short exchange, she sensed the Darkness coming from within Diana, granting Diana the strength to move with the tremendous pressure Tobias had placed on her. Savathun could see the Light in Diana plain as day, but the Darkness was within her as well. These Children of the Light were certainly the most interesting ones that she had encountered so far.

But in the end, they would also be the last that she would meet. The Vessel of the Light now rested before her, ready for her to claim both his Light, and his power.

"I… I am now the strongest there is." Savathun declared as she approached Tobias, raising her hands. But she quickly came to a stop and looked up sensing a new presence in her throne room.

"Do you feel that?" Ir Anuk inquired, despite the pain she was in.

A silhouette came crashing down at the center of the throne room, resting on one knee before it straightened up.

"What are you doing here?" Ir Anuk as the newest arrival looked up at them.

"Who are you?" Savathun asked curiously, sensing something familiar within this new person.

"I was once known as the Wrath of Oryx." He began as the Darkness flared up around him "But with the Taken King dead, I have no use for such a title."

"He was there when father was slain." Ir Anuk pointed out.

"Oh, so this is who I heard so much about." Savathun said as took a moment to observe Titus, the human that had been Taken by Oryx. Ir Anuk had mentioned him in passing to her, leaving Savathun to wonder if this man would ever dare to oppose her. She never would've expected him to come to the High Coven, but while he was here she would deal with him now. "What a belligerent fool, appearing before my throne uninvited. I see you've inherited more from Oryx than just his Heart."

Titus' gaze became sharp at this as he hesitated for a moment.

"You thought we wouldn't notice. I can feel my brother's presence within you." Savathun said as she pointed at Titus. "You claimed his Heart, didn't you?"

Titus exhaled, and then he smirked at Ir Anuk and Savathun.

"So what if I did?" Titus asked as he now stood on Ir Anuk's remaining shoulder. His arm had been morphed into a saber, which he had pierced through Ir Anuk's neck before even she knew what had happened. Savathun whirled around, shocked that he had moved so quickly. But this surprise turned to admiration as Ir Anuk burst into black dust. For Titus to eliminate her so handily, he was indeed a fearsome opponent.

"I thought my brother was foolish for creating you. But I understand now. You were his contingency plan, in case he were ever to be killed. You would carry out his will." Savathun said as she watched Titus descend to the floor, snatching up the remains of Ir Anuk which was nothing more than a small brown fabric no larger than his forearm.

"No." Titus stated as he shook his head. "My path, is _my own_."

A/N

And that's another one in the books. My last installment was over a month ago, so I had to slide in a chapter this month or I'd feel guilty. So thanks so much for reading/following/favorite-ing ( Yeah, that's not a word ) my fic.

Destiny 2 Beta came and went. I hope none of you missed it, not that you would've missed much. I was a little underwhelmed, hoping for a bit more than what we got, but I'll take what I can guess. That first campaign mission was awesome, and if the rest of the campaign reaches that standard, I think we're in for something amazing. And I absolutely loved seeing the Vanguard Mentors out on the field with us. The day I get to fight alongside a Zavala, Shaxx or Cayde-6 AI, I'm going to lose my mind. But until that day, I happily take what I've got.

I see the beta falling under so much scrutiny, some of it deserved, some of being a little overboard, the rest of it being blind hate from that crowd of salty folks ( you know who I'm talking about ).

Now I'm not going to sit here and tell you that the beta was awesome, I already said I wasn't the happiest duck when I finished it. My abilities were on cooldown for what felt like ages, my super took forever to charge, and I didn't get to see the Farm! That last part you can ignore, but in my honest opinion, I felt pretty weak during the Strike they gave us to play, thanks in no small part to the fact that my abilities were basically never there for me to use. There was a comment on a video I was watching where someone pointed out that all of the whining and moaning throughout Destiny 1 about balancing abilities and subclass has now resulted in them making Trickle a permanent modifier in PvE to balance it for PvP. Really hoping that this is something they address before launch, or that they already have something in place to speed up ability cooldowns. But other than that, I'm still on the Bungie bandwagon and anxiously waiting for Destiny 2.

If you bothered to read all that, I'll stop talking now tell you to enjoy the rest of your day, so long Guardians!


	34. Lair of Deception III

**Chapter 34 – Lair of Deception III**

* * *

Savathun had a seen a great deal of events in her lifetime. But since forming her pact with the Worms, things had become quite tiresome for her. From her Throne World, the High Coven, she guided her Hive minions from one star system to the next, devastating its people and resources as tribute to the Worms to maintain her immortality in the normal realm. But centuries of watching planets and its people be consumed by the Hive left her quite bored. That is, until she caught word that Oryx had found the Traveler once again, and had actually been bested by its defenders not once, but twice.

The Traveler was the ultimate prize the Worms, and its destruction would mark their victory over the Light. Savathun had offered to assist Oryx as he recovered from his second defeat on Earth's Moon. But her brother was stubborn, insisting that he had a plan to crush the Traveler's protectors, and his plan manifested into the Dreadnaught. Savathun however, hatched a plan of her own to battle the Guardians, but Oryx would pay the ultimate price for her to succeed.

And now, Savathun had the Vessel of the Light right before her, his power ready for her to claim! Yet her _brother_ had somehow managed to throw a wrench into her plan.

The human that Oryx had Taken now stood before her, standing in her path to claim Tobias' Light.

"So what do you seek then?" Savathun asked Titus.

"To see a future, where there is peace." He replied, pulling out a small blade from the small pouch that was strapped to his waist. In his hands he now held the Blade of Famine, and the Shroud of Ir Anuk. "And this…is what will take me there."

Titus grimaced for a few moments, his chest expanding before the Ravenous Heart came out of him. The black sphere lurched, extending and retracting in various places before it began to glow, recognizing the objects that Titus had gathered around it. A pair of tethers extended from the Heart, latching onto the Shroud and the Blade in Titus' hands. Taking them from it, the trio floated in front of him silently as Savathun watched on with great curiosity. What was this?

Titus then raised his right hand, noticing that it had begun to glow as well. The markings from the Tablet of Ruin had lit up now, removing themselves from his hand and beginning to circle around the Ravenous Heart. Slowly, the ancient Hive Arcana began to lock themselves into place around the Heart, turning dark gray. Once each of them found where they belonged, formed a pair of stone circles around the centerpiece. The Blade of Famine then locked itself into place where these two circles overlapped while Titus raised an open hand to the opposite end where a handle formed for him to grasp.

"What…is that?" Savathun inquired slowly as she watched Titus raise this weapon now. It was a small weapon, but the Shroud began to wrap itself around it, concealing the weapon completely. It then began to morph, growing longer and becoming monotone in color.

Titus now held a lengthy sword, with a jagged white blade while the handle of the weapon was black. The hilt was missing though, and floating in its place was the Ravenous Heart that was now contained within a glass polyhedron. Examining his new weapon, Titus swung it through the air slowly as if to check its weight. Savathun though, had to set her feet down on the floor to anchor herself as the blade released a massive energy wave with each swing that threatened to push her away.

"What is that weapon?" Savathun demanded this time. When Titus had first entered the room, she could sense her brother's presence. But now that overwhelming pressure that radiated from Oryx…she could feel it coming from Titus now. It was as if the Taken King was standing before her!

Titus remained silent though as he now raised the weapon, pointing it straight up the ceiling. A heavy dark aura appeared around him that traveled over to the Guardians that were resting on the other side of the room, collecting the Darkness that circled around Diana, Niko and Carmen. The pair of Hunters began to stir, the smaller of the pair complaining verbally.

"Ugh, what the hell happened?" Carmen muttered after a few moments, placing a hand on her head. Her memory was foggy at the moment as she tried to adjust to the new setting she was in. Just moments ago she was in a small settlement back on Earth fighting off the Fallen, and then everything went black. Now she found herself resting on her stomach, looking at Niko who was just getting to his feet.

"Where are we?" Niko asked as he looked around before spotting Diana and Tobias on the floor ahead of him.

"You broke my illusions?!" Savathun exclaimed as she realized that the Guardians were loose now.

"Get your friends and get out of here!" Titus hollered at Niko and Carmen who finally caught sight of him, and they were in shock to see him once again.

"How many times do we have to kill you?!" Carmen shouted at him as she drew her hand cannon, but she froze upon feeling the intense Darkness that filled the room. Her senses had returned, and being the presence of both Savathun and Titus at the same time was bone chilling.

"I'm trying to help you!" Titus yelled in return. "Now get out of here!"

"No, I'll never allow that!" Savathun shrieked as her shadow on the floor became solid, growing in size as it raced toward the Guardians. It quickly took shape into multiple hands that began to reach out for them.

"Oh crap!" Niko exclaimed at how quickly Savathun's shadow had gotten to Tobias and Diana. He and Carmen were still recuperating, and neither of them were prepared for combat at the moment.

"Their power is mine!" Savathun shrieked, but as the limbs closed up around Diana and Tobias they were suddenly diced to pieces, leaving the two Guardians unharmed. "What?!"

Titus now stood in front them, his weapon pointed at Savathun as he stared her down.

" **You will _not_ touch them**!" Titus boomed at her.

"Then I will kill you first!" Savathun said as her trio of eyes twinkled. She shrieked at the top of her lungs as he body became surrounded in an evil red aura before she threw herself at Titus. Sensing the Darkness intensify around Savathun, Niko and Carmen found themselves staring at her with wide eyes as she charged at them, as if they were deer staring into a pair of headlights.

Titus though, simply raised his sword and dropped it down in front of him, perfectly timing this chop to intercept Savathun and smash her down to the floor in front of him, violently cracking it. Placing just the tip of his sword on top of Savathun, she began to struggle as she had been pinned to the floor just by this slight bit of contact between them.

Carmen gasped when Titus turned to look back at them.

"Go, it's not safe here. Get your friends, and get out of here." Titus announced once again, nodding toward Diana and Tobias. Both of them still lay motionless on the floor.

"What…what is _that_?" Niko asked as she pointed at Savathun who was flailing wildly, trying to break free.

"This is the Savathun, Oryx's sister." Titus replied, leaving the pair of Hunters speechless. "When you all entered her Throne World she trapped each of you in an illusion, and you've been under her control ever since. Tobias was the first to break free, and the rest of you were turned against him until his own power was used against him."

Geez, no wonder he wanted them to leave. Their mission had already gone off the deep end as they were pitted against each other by Savathun.

"What about Oryx's daughter?" Niko asked.

"Ir Anuk? I killed her already." Titus stated.

"But, why? You attacked us back on the Dreadnaught. And on Earth." Carmen pointed out. "Why are you helping us now?"

"I was under Oryx's control all of that time. I was freed thanks to you guys, so consider this as thanks. And now that I'm free, I have a mission of my own to complete." Titus revealed before he shook, momentarily losing his balance. "I can't hold her back for much longer. Get going."

"Niko, what should we do?" Carmen asked him softly. Titus had always been the enemy, and now he was helping them? Nothing was making any sense right now.

"Tobias and Diana are injured. Their safety is priority number one right now. Let's get them and go." Niko said as he looked toward their teammates. He didn't know what happened to them, but making sure they made it out of this mission alive was all they had to do now. Ir Anuk was dead, and it was best that they didn't delve any further into this fight than they had too…for the time being at least.

Being larger than Tobias, Niko hoisted him up on his back, while Carmen, being shorter than Diana, had to throw her body over her shoulders in order to carry her. Niko then looked toward Titus, giving him a nod before he and Carmen began to run toward the exit of the room.

Giving a sigh of relief, Titus relaxed a bit knowing that Tobias would safely exit the High Coven. Focusing on Savathun Titus had to quickly decide how he would fight her now. He had completed the Touch of Malice, and the power from it was astronomical. But the threat in front of him was nothing he could take lightly. Even with this fearsome power, Titus could fall victim to Savathun's clever traps, and all of this would be for naught. He would proceed with caution.

"Uh, can you give us directions on how to get out of here?"

Titus' head snapped to the side to see Niko standing behind him once again.

"Are you kidding me?" Titus replied.

"Not really. You said we were caught in an illusion. Neither of us knows how to get out of here." Niko explained, causing Titus to curse under his breath. He hadn't accounted for that, nor did he have any sort of plan to help them escape the High Coven. There was no way they would be able to pass through Savathun's lair without any guidance.

"Damn." Titus muttered. "I don't know."

Looking up, he tried to recall everything he had read in the World's Grave surrounding the Hive pantheon. He tried to recall anything he could about the High Coven.

The High Coven was a world of illusions, shaping itself to fit whatever Savathun wanted it to be. Because she was the ruler of this Throne World, she held the power to do this.

'But could I…Take that from her.' Titus said as he looked down at the Witch Queen. Kneeling down, Titus extended a hand toward her Savathun and placed it on her head.

"What are you _doing_?!" She shrieked at him.

The room around them began to change, twisting and morphing until it mirrored Oryx's throne room on the High War perfectly.

"There, her Throne World now matches the High War. It's like you're back on the Dreadnaught now." Titus declared to them. Niko and Carmen were shocked once again by him. It was just one surprise after another with this guy.

Carmen and Niko didn't know whether to thank him or not, but their options quickly dwindled as Savathun was no enraged by Titus' actions.

"You can't do that!" Savathun shouted as she forced Titus back, allowing her to rise up from the floor. She couldn't believe that this, _human_ , had just forced her to alter her Throne World. How was such a thing possible?!

Titus himself couldn't believe that it actually worked, but he wasn't going to complain. This put him at ease now. The Guardians had gotten away, and now all he had to do was defeat Savathun.

"You've gained the Essence of the Feast?" Savathun asked him, pointing a finger at him. It was the only way to explain him being able to wield her powers. It explained how he was able to mold the Ravenous Heart into a weapon as well.

The Essence of the Feast filled you with an endless yearning for power through Hive Sword Logic.

The Worm Gods had granted Savathun and her siblings this yearning as part of their pact to become immortal. But the Essence of the Feast could never truly be satisfied. Oryx had sunk so deep into this desire for power that he set his sights on the Worm Gods, killing Akka, the Worm of Secrets to discover what powers they held. And now, Savathun could see that Titus had the same ambitions due to the Essence of the Feast. And with his rapid growth, nothing would stop him from gaining audience with the Darkness.

She had to destroy him now, or else he would succeed them within the Hive pantheon.

Allowing her feet to touch the ground, the floor of the entire room became black. Numerous hands began to rise from the floor around Titus, grabbing onto his limbs, but he only swung his sword in response. The darkness that had covered the floor wavered away, surprising Savathun as Titus stared at her.

"There's a reason you wouldn't fight Oryx directly. Why you tried to have the Guardians do your dirty work. Your illusions don't work on Oryx, and they won't work on me." He stated. "You will not defeat me."

* * *

The Hive had always fascinated Toland. From the moment he first witnessed them exiting their Hive Seeders at the Battle of Burning Lake decades ago. There was something different about these creatures. They weren't like the Fallen, not even close. The Fallen seemed to be in disarray, but the Hive, it seemed as though they were trying to achieve something.

Traveling up to Earth's Moon following the Battle of Burning Lake, Toland had ample opportunity to observe the Hive on his own. He saw the hierarchy that they had in place, how the Thrall gave tribute to the Acolytes, and the Acolytes to the Knights and Wizards. It was all so organized, yet he saw no clear ruler of these beings. The Knights and Wizards acted as leaders over small portions of them, but further study of their tribute system led Toland to believe that there was indeed Hive that were higher than the Knights and Wizards.

And his discovers in the World's Grave backed that theory. In fact, the Hive that he had seen so far were those that had crossed to the mortal realm seeking to grow stronger. The Hive possessed their own realm, where their gods housed themselves, relaying their commands to those that served them.

From the moment he had discovered the existence of the Hive Ascendant Realm, Toland wanted to go there. And his opportunity finally came when he found himself resting before Ir Yut, the Deathsinger.

He listened to the song she sung, and his physical form was lost to it. His consciousness remained though, and with nothing tethering him to the mortal realm, he ventured further into Crota's Oversoul Throne until he found the Crossroads.

From that point forward, Toland spent a great deal of time traversing the Hive Ascendant Realm. He was able to witness their history, how they had been born, the heinous acts of genocide they committed. He saw everything that this race was capable of, and he found himself admiring them.

The Hive lived by a code, survival of the fittest, taken to the ultimate extreme. And this code established order in such a way that no one ever thought to go against it. Such order…was incredible to witness as the Hive conquered and reshaped galaxies.

Toland was largely ignored by the Ascendant Hive. They didn't seem to care about his pathetically small presence among them. They allowed him to travel through their worlds freely. They probably didn't think he could pose a threat to any of them, and their assumption was correct. What could he do to the Hive gods?

The thought of trying to do anything to the Ascendant Hive had never even crossed Toland's mind. He only wanted to study them, and understand them. To understand their worlds, and how the Hive pantheon coexisted.

Oryx though, really stood out to Toland. Even though Oryx had two siblings that were almost equal to him in terms of power, and many powerful children as well, there was something about Oryx that was…different. Oryx was closer to the Darkness than the rest of his family, as if his power came from it directly. It seemed as though that was why there was gap in power between Oryx and his siblings. And that seemed to be why his siblings were so bent on overcoming him.

Toland had grown accustomed to living in the dense Darkness that filled the Ascendant Realm. There was no Light here.

At least, not until the Guardians launched their assault of the Dreadnaught. That was the first time that Toland had felt the Light in a very long time. He felt the Traveler's Light within Tobias as he watched him travel through the High War.

But once again, Toland was sensing the Traveler's Light in the Ascendant Realm. Venturing out into the Crossroads, it didn't take him long to find the trail of Light that was being left behind, following it on the Tombships.

"Oh man, we're so lost." Carmen muttered as she looked around, unable to get an understanding of their location.

They had been riding these Tombships for ages now after they had fled from the High Coven.

"Can you remember which one these ships we took?" Niko asked as he glanced up at a pair of Tombships as they passed by above them.

"I have no clue. I kind of remember when we were working together to jump from ship to ship, but then there's huge blank spot." Carmen explained as she struggled to recall what had happened before they woke up in Savathun's throne room.

"Well, this is a fine mess we've gotten ourselves into." Niko noted as he glanced back Tobias and Diana who they had laid down, side by side. Both of them were still unconscious, and Diana's Light was dangerously weak. They needed to get out of here if she was going to recover, because if she passed away in here, they wouldn't be seeing her again.

Niko stood still for a moment, racking his brain for an idea. Anything that would help them figure out this puzzle so that they could leave this realm.

"Guardians, what are you doing here?"

Niko and Carmen looked up, watching as the white featureless form of Toland descended onto the Tombship they had been riding.

"You're back!" Niko exclaimed as he remembered the man who had guided them through their first trip into the Ascendant Realm. "We need you to find us an exit, like right now!"

"That's what I intend to do." Toland responded as he glanced around for a moment, checking their current location on the Crossroads.

"So…we're saved?" Carmen asked as she looked at her fellow Hunter.

"Heck yeah we are!" Niko replied, glad that there were a few positives to their situation now. Things had been looking pretty bleak as they fled the High Coven with an unconscious Diana and Tobias. "So what's the word Toland?"

"Based on the state of your teammates, I'm assuming you'd like to get out of here quickly." Toland noted as he glanced at Diana and Tobias.

"You got that right." Carmen said with a nod.

"The Dreadnaught is still a fair distance from here, but a portal to the Oversoul Throne is nearby." Toland pointed out to them.

"Whatever gets out of here the fastest." Niko said, snapping his fingers. Receiving a nod from Toland, he then motioned for the two of them to follow him as he became airborne again. A pair of Tombships was approaching them, which Toland floated up to. The Hunters quickly collected their teammates and jumped up, using these two ships as a stairway to reach the final ship where Toland had stopped.

"Where now?" Carmen asked.

"Now we wait." Toland said as he motioned for her to relax.

The emptiness of space surrounded them for only a few more moments. Then Carmen found herself staring at one of the most incredible things she had ever seen. All of a sudden their surroundings changed, and Carmen was looking up at a planetoid that had been broken into several pieces, but rather than floating off aimlessly, it seemed to be bound together by a swirling green fire at the center.

"What is that?" Carmen asked in bewilderment.

"The Oversoul." Toland responded. "Though, it lays dormant now that Crota has been destroyed."

Going over to the edge of the Tombship, Carmen could see that they were way above the floating islands beneath them, but one spot in particular gained her attention. It was like an arena.

"Is that…?" She began, causing Niko to nod.

"Yup. We killed Crota down there." He proclaimed. Staring down at the stage where Crota had stood when they fought him, he could see the Ascendant Sword that Diana had wielded to kill him. It stood in the same place where she had left it, jammed into the ground, tilted to the side slightly. Niko still got chills whenever he thought about how they toppled the Hive Prince.

* * *

 _"Damn it!" Niko muttered as he slammed his fist against the wall of the lower chamber he, Diana and Briggs had taken refuge in._

 _Things had taken a turn for the worse. Their six man raid team had been whittled down to just the three members of Undaunted. All of them had been caught off guard out in the center of the arena as they watched Diana beat away at Crota with the Ascendant Sword. None of them had taken note of the Ogres as they approached the Guardians from their flanks._

 _Three lives were gone in an instant, with no hope of returning._

 _"Even with Eris' guidance, it still wasn't enough to take down Crota." Diana said softly. She was seated on the opposite side of the room, staring into the black pool resting at the center of the space._

 _"It's not over." Briggs stated, causing both Niko and Diana to look toward him._

 _"Iggy, we just lost half our team. What can we possibly do at this point?" Diana asked him. There was uncertainty in her voice._

 _"Yes, we lost some of our comrades just now. But I won't use that as an excuse to give up." Briggs stated, causing Diana to flinch momentarily._

 _Niko wouldn't admit it, but he had lost hope too. The fight to get to Crota's arena was gruesome as they fought off the concentrated Hive forces and overcame all sorts of obstacles. But despite all of the work and effort they had put in, half of their team had been killed without warning, and there was nothing they could've done about it._

 _"When we accepted this mission, we knew that dying was a possibility. That some of us may not come back from this. Eris knows that first hand." Briggs continued as he took a moment to look at each of them. "But if this is where our journey as Guardians ends, then let's go out in a way that everyone will remember centuries from now."_

 _Briggs' resolve had always impressed Niko. But it was at this moment, that Niko knew that he would be willing to fight alongside this Guardian for eternity if he could._

 _Punching his palm, Niko stood upright now, giving his fireteam leader a nod._

 _"Let's bring that bastard down." Niko declared. The two of them then looked toward Diana. But she was still seated, lacking courage still._

 _Reality had hit her like a ton of bricks. Death was permanent here. She couldn't be brought back to life like in her previous mission. The thought of dying had never in crossed her mind until she witnessed the loss of three of teammates. And now she was beginning to realize that if she were to jump onto that platform wielding the Ascendant Sword to fight Crota, she could be gone in an instant._

 _"Diana?" Briggs said softly to her. He was kneeling beside her now._

 _"I can't do it. I don't want to die." She whispered to them, shaking her head._

 _"You won't." Briggs said sternly as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "You have my word. Just place your trust in me…and I'll bring us back home."_

 _Diana stared at him for a moment. Was it possible for an Exo to sound endearing with their mechanical voice? That didn't matter, because Briggs' words had settled her mind. She would trust in him._

 _Taking a deep breath, Diana rose to her feet as well._

 _"Okay, let's do this."_

 _"All in then." Briggs said as he extended his hand toward them. Diana and Niko each placed a hand on top of his own. "Niko, Diana, you're going to bum rush the Swordbearer as soon as you lay eyes on it. Niko, do whatever you have to-to clear the area for Diana. Then head straight for the left tower and eliminate the Knights. I'll handle the right tower. Once Diana is in position, we'll unload everything we've got into Crota and bring him to-his-knees."_

 _Niko and Diana gave him a nod, and with that, they were off, charging back into the arena._

 _Racing up the stairway, the three of them were immediately spotted by the horde of Thrall that had been waiting. Briggs darted off to the right side of the arena, leaving Niko and Diana to engage the enemies._

 _"Gimme so cover fire Diana!" Niko called out as he pulled out his tanto, activating Arc Blade. Jumping into the mass of Thrall, Niko spun on one foot to unleash a shockwave that vaporized a number of Thrall. But even after witnessing their allies being destroyed by Niko, the remaining Thrall rushed the Hunter anyway to meet their doom by the same fashion._

 _"Here comes the Swordbearer!" Diana pointed out as the fiery Hive Knight stepped out into the arena, beginning to charge toward the duo of the Guardians at the center. Putting three shots into the Swordbearer, Diana gained its full attention as it began to charge toward her. But this allowed Niko to blindside it easily, gutting it with his glowing tanto. Roaring before it burst into flames, the Swordbearer left behind the item that they needed. The Ascendant Sword._

 _"Let's go Diana!" Niko shouted as he now rushed over to the bridge on the left side of the arena, using it a stepping stone to reach the tower where a pair of Hive Boomers were located._

 _Exhaling, Diana mustered up all of the courage she could, recalling that her teammates had her back. Then she picked up the Ascendant Sword once again and glanced up at platform above her. She could just see the tip of Crota's crown from her current position, but the next time she would see it would hopefully be the last. Racing over to the left side of the arena, Diana found the same ledge that she could use to jump up to Crota's platform directly._

 _"I'm ready." Diana said as she glanced up at the tower beside her._

 _"Hah!" Niko shouted as he cut down the final Boomer Knight in the tower. "I'm all set. Briggs?"_

 _Within the right tower, Briggs stood within his Ward of Dawn, reloading his Gjallarhorn. The remains of the Hive Boomers were scattered around the room, but the Titan paid no mind to them as he approached the windows of the tower to take a look at Crota._

 _The Hive Prince stood at the center of his platform, looking back and forth between the two towers. He had seen Niko and Briggs enter the towers, and clean out the Boomers, but this didn't seem to both Crota in the slightest._

 _"Ready and waiting. Let's commence the attack. Niko, get his attention." Briggs said as he raised one hand, giving Niko the signal to attack._

 _"Hey, ugly!" Niko barked at Crota as he fired away at the Hive Prince with his hand cannon. Crota turned to face Niko's tower now, raising a hand to cast a few energy bolts at the Hunter. And with Crota now preoccupied with his teammate, Briggs had the freedom to fire his Gjallarhorn with no resistance._

 _Diana was chewing on her lower lip as she stared up Crota, her heart racing. The Hive Prince towered over her, and the cleaver he held was almost as large as he was. Could she really do this?_

 _But before she could overload her mind with a number of questions, a rocket shell detonated on Crota's back. He didn't even flinch from the force of the explosion, but Diana recognized this as her cue to jump. Crota spun around in search of his attacker, but as he turned he caught some movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned back, spotting Diana as she charged toward him with the Ascendant Sword in her hands._

 _Diana felt her stomach drop as Crota was staring at her now while she approached. Taking his sword in two hands now, Crota raised his weapon above his head as he lunged at her, prepared to utterly destroy her. But before he could drop his blade down onto her, a second rocket detonated against his back, and this one caused him to stumble forward as he went down onto one knee._

 _"Kill his ass Diana!" Niko roared._

 _For a fraction of a second, Diana's heart had jumped into her throat. But swallowing it back down as she saw the Hive Prince down on one knee, she raised the Ascendant Sword and brought it down onto Crota with all the force she could muster. The blow knocked Crota over onto his side, causing body to burst into flames with a deafening roar. There as a brief flash of light before they were all blinded by Crota's Oversoul as it roared to life, shaking the entire arena. But after a moment it too burst into flames that were carried away by a great gust of wind. The winds howled until they died down, allowing a silence to set in as the three man team looked around at each other._

 _Diana then spun the massive blade she held, and taking the handle with both hands, slammed it into the ground. The weapon pierced through the surface, lodging itself into the floor where it remained as Diana stepped back from it._

* * *

"We're getting off here!" Toland called out, snapping Niko out of his thoughts. The arena where they had fought Crota was long gone. The Tombship they were on had taken them all they back to a long corridor that led back into total darkness. Niko recognized it because he had been running from the dark area last time he was here. That was truly a frightening experience, one he wasn't too keen on having again.

"Do we really have to head back there?" Niko asked as he scooped up Tobias in his arms and jumped off the Tombship, joining Carmen and Toland on the ground.

"Don't worry. This area has been uninhabited since you all killed Crota. There is nothing to worry about." Toland explained to him, sensing Niko's discomfort.

Niko loved battles, he adored action. But fighting in total darkness, with their mobility restricted, and being mugged by Thrall and Knights for every waking moment…not even Niko would do that again. Breathing a sigh of relief, Niko gave Toland a nod as a motion for him to lead the way.

Moving on foot now, they came to a massive gorge. On the opposite side was a dark area, with only a tall lamp lighting a very small portion of the land. Crossing the bridge, they began to venture through into the rocky landscape, spotting another lantern in the distance. Following these, Toland guided them back to the starting point, but it was different from what Niko could recall. There was a ray of white light, heading straight up, piercing through the darkness.

"This will take you back to Earth's Moon." Toland declared as he looked at Niko and Carmen.

"Oh man, we can't thank you enough." Niko said to him.

"I was looking forward to our next meeting Guardians. I didn't expect it to be under such circumstances though." Toland noted as he glanced at Tobias and Diana, both of which we being held up by Carmen and Niko.

"Yeah, maybe next time things will be a bit better." Carmen said. "But I really want to get out of here, soo~ ciao."

Carmen stepped into the ray of light with Diana on her back, and disappeared.

"Until next time Guardian." Toland said as he motioned for Niko to follow his teammates. Niko gave Toland one final nod before he stepped in as well, looking up to see if he would experience the drop into the Hellmouth in reverse.

Watching them go, Toland felt weighed down suddenly. He could feel an incredible power coming from the Ascendant Realm. Far into the Crossroads, from deep within the High Coven. Something otherworldly had just been born.

'What a fearsome power.' Toland noted.

 **Earth's Moon**

 **Ocean of Storms**

 **Hellmouth**

Niko's fuzzy vision finally cleared up as he caught a glimpse of the sun way out in the distance. As he looked around, he realized that he was airborne, flying upward, exiting the massive pit that led down into the Hive underworld. Being jettisoned out of the Hellmouth, Niko was tossed onto a platform where Carmen was waiting for him, having already placed Diana on the ground.

"We made it back!" Carmen exclaimed as Niko landed a feet from her, stumbling a bit from the extra weight of Tobias.

"I'm glad that's over with." Niko said to her as he kneeled down to put down Tobias as well. "Hopefully the two of them wake up soon."

Niko glanced up the sun once again, smiling a bit as he stared at the star. It was a relief to see it once again. While they were on the Crossroads, he was beginning to think he would never see the sun again.

"Uh…Niko?" Carmen said softly.

"Hmm?" He said as he glanced at her. She was looking in the opposite direction, frozen in the place.

"Turn around." She said, her voice beginning to quiver.

Whirling around quickly, Niko's jaw drop as he stared at something he never thought he would see.

The Earth…it was a smoldering mess. That had been cut in half, right down the middle.

* * *

A/N

Not even going to say anything this time except, DESTINY 2!


	35. Back to the Future

**Chapter 35**

* * *

 **Earth's Moon**

 **Ocean of Storms**

 **Hellmouth**

Staring up at the remains of Earth, Carmen and Niko couldn't find their voices. They were absolutely astonished at what they were looking at.

The Earth…had been destroyed. It had been cut in half cleanly, and they could say the layers beneath the surface of the planet.

Niko had found himself in all sorts of situations since he had become a Guardian. But not once did he ever think that he would find the home of humanity in such a state. The Earth was all they had left, and now…

"What…happened?" Niko managed to ask after pinching himself. He wasn't dreaming, this was real. "Ghost, what's going on?"

"I-I don't know." His Ghost stammered as it appeared. Their Ghosts had been the first to notice that something had changed since they had exited the Ascendant Realm, but their search for answers had been futile.

"What do you mean 'you don't know'?!" Niko exclaimed as he threw up his arms before pointing at the Earth. "The Earth is in pieces damn it! Check out the Vanguard database to see what happened!"

"I can't access the database…which means…" His Ghost trailed off, causing Niko to drop his arms as this thought settled in.

"They're gone?" Niko whispered, causing Carmen's Ghost to form as well.

"I haven't been able to establish contact with the Vanguard either. All the active channels I've ever used have been disabled." Her Ghost explained to them. "It seems as though…the Vanguard has fallen."

"But to what?" Niko demanded to know. Who could've destroyed the Earth in such a fashion?! Certainly not the Hive, they had just finished crippling the Hive Pantheon. The Cabal? But where could that race of conquerors have been hiding something that could blow up the Earth? It couldn't have been the Fallen…

"Holy freakin' crap! What are we going to do?!" Carmen shrieked as she finally began to speak. She was looking at Niko now, hoping for some answers from the senior Hunter of their team.

Niko spared a glance at Diana's unconscious form, and exhaled loudly at this. He needed to calm himself down if he was going to be able to think about all of this rationally. Diana was in no condition to function as the leader of their fireteam, so he would do so for the time being.

The Earth, and everything on it had clearly been destroyed. As far as they could tell, all of their contacts were gone. The only thing he had to be thankful for was the fact that they weren't under attack to top off this situation.

But this thought caused Niko to snap his fingers, gaining everyone's attention. Opening the hand he had just used, a purple aura began to swirl around his hand which he smirked at, identifying it as Void Light.

"We still have the Light." Niko declared as he closed his open hand into a fist. "The Traveler is still out there, somewhere."

This seemed to release some of the tension as they all relaxed, just a little bit.

"Let's expand our search perimeters then. Maybe the Vanguard or whatever is left of them has been relocated to another part of the system." Niko's Ghost reasoned with them, getting a nod from Carmen's Ghost.

"Now we're talking." Niko said as he glanced back at their unconscious teammates. Tobias and Diana were still out cold, and they still had no idea what happened to leave them in such a state. But at least they would recover sooner rather than later now that they were outside of the Ascendant Realm.

"Unfortunately, it looks like we've lost access to our transports." Carmen's Ghost pointed out. "Whatever happened on Earth, our attackers were thorough. We have nothing besides the weapons you've brought."

"That'll have to do. We've been through worse after all." Niko stated. "Ghost, bring up a map of this area. I think I remember there being an old outpost we could use as a shelter for the time being until Diana and Tobias wake up."

Projecting a map of the area surrounding the Hellmouth, Niko immediately spotted the area he was thinking about. It was a few miles away though, something that would take them hours to get to on foot, not to mention they would be carrying their teammates for this journey.

"Surprisingly, the Fallen are still present in this area." Carmen's Ghost said as it looked in the direction where their enemies were located in. "Perhaps we could, _borrow_ , some transportation from them."

"Oh please, you can just say steal." Carmen sneered at her Ghost.

"You…barbarian." Her Ghost muttered. Carmen blew a raspberry at her Ghost in response.

"That's a good idea. Their Pikes will help us cover ground faster." Niko said before his gaze was drawn to Tobias and Diana. Tobias had begun to stir, groaning a bit as he sat up, struggling to get an understanding of his surroundings.

"Tobias!" Niko and Carmen exclaimed, glad to see that their situation was improving somewhat.

"Ugh, what the heck happened?" Tobias asked as he tried to figure out where he was. Their current location didn't match the last place he could remember. He remembered fighting… his teammates. Tobias had jumped to his feet as he looked at Carmen and Niko, but both of them raised their hands, motioning for him to settle down.

"Tobias, you're okay. I mean, we're okay." Niko assured him, causing Tobias to drop down onto his bottom with a sigh of relief. But as he leaned back to take a few breaths, he found himself staring at the shattered remains of the Earth.

Tobias remained still for a moment, wondering if he was hallucinating. He then looked around at their current location, recognizing it as Earth's Moon from the time he had been on its surface. So then that meant…

"Guys, is that…?" Tobias didn't bother to complete his question as the two Hunters gave him a nod.

"Yeah. It is." Carmen stated.

"But…how?"

"We're still working on that." Carmen replied.

"Honestly Tobias, save your breath." Niko interjected before Tobias could ask any more questions. "We know next to nothing at the moment. The most we can do right now is try to find someone, anyone who can tell us what happened."

"Ghost, have you found anything yet?" Carmen asked as she glanced at her Ghost.

"Nothing so far. But that's largely due to the fact that we have no network to operate through." Carmen's Ghost replied. "Beyond the Moon, we have no idea what's happening."

"However, there is an uplink station in the outpost we're going to. We can use that to hopefully get a bigger picture of the system using the satellites." Niko's Ghost explained.

"Alright then, so where are we going to go from here?" Tobias inquired.

"Actually, Carmen and I are heading for a Fallen settlement not too far from here. We're going to steal some Pikes from them to get to the outpost my Ghost was talking about." Niko explained to him.

"Wait, so what am I doing?"

" _You_ are going to be watching Diana." Carmen said to him. Tobias deadpanned at this.

* * *

Niko and Carmen had ventured about a mile north of the Hellmouth before they arrived at a small moon base that had been tucked away into the volatile landscape of the Moon. The two of them were positioned on a hill that overlooked the base, trying to determine how they would handle this situation.

The Fallen only had a few numbers present in this small base, quietly moving in and out of the three buildings here. Cleaning them out wouldn't be a problem for the two of them, in fact, that was the only plan they had.

"I see the Pikes." Niko said as the interface within his helmet highlighted the vehicles they were looking for.

"We're going to take them all out though, right?" Carmen asked him.

"Pfft, what else would you expect?" Niko asked her in return. Carmen grinned at this, taking a hold of her Ace of Spades. "Let's get to work."

Sliding down the hill now, the two of them took off a dead sprint for the nearest building once they hit the flat surface. Arriving at the open entryway, the two of them rushed through the small facility until they found a pair of Vandals seated in a small room. Raising their weapons, the two Hunters gunned them down without a wasted moment before darting out of this building and into the next.

The gunfire surely must have tipped off the other Fallen that occupied the area, so they were certain that the fighting would escalate from here. But…it didn't.

"Hey… they're not... shooting back?" Carmen asked as she lowered her Ace of Spades.

They were just outside of the last building now where the remaining Fallen inside had come out to see what all the commotion was about. But they were unarmed, and they appeared to be uninterested in the fact that they were being attacked.

"What the hell?" Niko said softly as he also lowered his hand cannon. They waited for a few moments, staring at the small group one Vandal and two Dregs that they had been shooting at just a few moments ago. They were whispering something to each other before the Vandal motioned for them all to return into the small building they had been resting within.

"Okay, this has to be one of the weirdest things I've ever seen." Carmen commented. The Fallen weren't even attempting to fight back, or do anything for that matter. All of the Fallen foot soldiers they had killed earlier hadn't done anything to defend themselves either.

Carmen had always known the Fallen for their tenacity. The Guardians always kicked around this race, massacring their infantry, destroying their transports and assassinating their nobility. But despite all this the Fallen had spent centuries after the Collapse fighting the Guardians in an effort to claim the Traveler from them. But for their spirit to be broken like this…what could have done something like this?

"Come on, let's go." Niko said as he motioned for Carmen to follow him. He was heading for the Pikes now, clearly having lost interest in fighting the Fallen now.

"But what about-" Carmen began.

"It's no fun when they don't shoot back." He replied pointedly. "Let's go pick up Tobias and Diana and get moving. Clearly a lot has happened, and we need to start getting some answers."

* * *

Tobias was seated in a small cave, with Diana's unconscious body resting beside him. He had been tasked with protecting her while Niko and Carmen had gone off to get transportation. There wasn't exactly anything to protect her from since his Ghost had confirmed that the nearest enemies were well over a mile away from them. But they also couldn't just leave Diana alone while she was knocked out.

It had been almost an hour since Niko and Carmen had left them, and Tobias had been lost in his thoughts since then. He was still trying to wrap his head around everything that had happened on the High Coven. It had all started as a pursuit of Ir Anuk, but before any of them had any idea of what had taken place, they had been captured within Savathun's illusions.

Tobias still couldn't believe that Oryx actually had siblings. All the work they had done to kill the Taken King, and it was very possible that they would have similar fights if the Guardians would have to defeat his siblings as well.

But what shocked him most of all, was the fact that he had to fight his own teammates. Not in the friendly spars they had-had during the past year. This time, they were trying to kill him, and on more than one occasion during that battle he had thought about harming them seriously. Looking at Diana who rested beside him, Tobias sighed deeply. It wasn't his intention to hurt any of them, but his frustrations had gotten the better of him during that battle, and he ended up hurting both himself, and Diana.

"Tobias?" His Ghost asked, receiving his attention.

"What's up?" Tobias asked in return.

"Niko and Carmen are returning. They want you ready and waiting because we can't afford to lose any more daylight." His Ghost explained to him.

"Right." He said as turned, scooping Diana off the ground in his arms. Rising to his feet, he ventured out of the cave he had been hidden in. Just as soon as he stepped out of the entrance, he heard the sound of their Pikes approaching. Looking up, both Niko and Carmen came rocketing overhead, landing right in front of him on their Pikes.

"Come on Tobias, let's get a move on!" Carmen hollered at him.

"Hop on with me. You'll be holding on to Diana for now." Niko said to him, getting a nod from Tobias as he climbed onto the back of the Pike. It was much more spacious than their Sparrows, allowing them to seat three with ease.

"Movin' out!" Carmen declared as she hit the throttle, racing off ahead of them.

"Carmen, do you even know where you're going?!" Niko shouted as he raced off as well to make sure she didn't get too far ahead.

 **Anchor of Light**

"We're about a mile from the outpost now, shouldn't be much longer." Niko said to Tobias who gave him a nod.

They had been riding across the surface of the Moon for nearly three hours now, and most of this time had passed in silence between them. Surprisingly the duo of Niko and Carmen who were always talking couldn't find something to discuss in their current situation.

The canyon they had been passing through opened up as they entered a large clearing. There were a few structures set up around this area, but Niko led them past all of these as they eventually turned off to the right through a small passage, taking them to a small abandoned facility that was built on the edge of a cliff.

"This is it." Niko's Ghost pointed out as they came to a stop by the entrance of the building. The area was devoid of any activity, Fallen and all. There wasn't a soul here besides them. "This was an old outpost used during the Golden Age actually. There's an old accelerator a few miles from here that became the starting ground of the moon colony here."

"So there should be an uplink station somewhere in here." Niko noted as he jumped off the Pike along with Carmen, heading for the open entrance of the building. Tobias climbed off the Pike as well, carrying Diana bridal style as he followed them in as well. There were three levels within this building, the ground floor acting as the work area where the uplink station was located. The upper levels were clearly for personnel quarters for the people that had previously been stationed here.

Finding a small room for Diana, Tobias laid her down on the small cot that extended from the wall. And then with a sigh, he left her small room and returned to the ground floor. He found Niko and Carmen anxiously waiting for their Ghosts to bring the uplink station back to life.

"Hah, we're in." Niko's Ghost declared, getting a nod of approval from the two Hunters.

"So what's the deal, what's going on right now?" Carmen inquired as she leaned forward; staring at the console their Ghosts had just reactivated.

"Oh, this is…interesting." Niko's Ghost noted after a few moments.

"What, what's the matter?" Carmen asked once again.

" _Everything_ has gone dark. Not just Vanguard communications. There's nothing out there."

All of them felt a chill run down their spines at this statement. Nothing?! How could this happen?

"So…everyone is gone?" Tobias asked softly. Niko's Ghost was very slow to give him a nod.

The three of them could only stand there, unable to accept what was taking place.

"But how did this happen? Is there anything we can use for reference? There has to be something." Tobias said as he looked at their Ghosts.

"The Earth is devoid of any satellites. All of them have been destroyed. The planetary scan of Mars I just completed shows that it's devoid of any life forms as well. Not even the Cabal are present there." Niko's Ghost stated.

"What about the Awoken?" Niko asked. They had to check all of their options. Unfortunately, his Ghost only looked up, projecting an image of the Reef for them. The asteroids that had housed the Awoken civilizations were in a similar state to that of the Earth. Whatever had taken place, they had gone out of their way to wipe out all life in this system.

"The Reef has been destroyed. I'm not detecting any survivors either." Niko's Ghost stated quietly.

"Gale?!" Carmen exclaimed suddenly, recalling their teammate who hadn't joined them for their last mission. "What about Gale? And Rasputin?"

"Ah, Rasputin's defense network stretches across the system. There must be something of his that we can tap into." Niko's Ghost reasoned as it returned its gaze to console. But even this small sliver of hope was squashed. "I don't believe it. Rasputin's entire network…is gone."

Each of the Guardians present took a moment to glance at each other as they realized what this meant. Every available resource that the Guardians had was gone. Someone or something had completely eradicated anything tied to the Guardians throughout the entire system. They were completely alone out here.

"Hold on, I'm picking up a very, very small signal on Venus." Carmen's Ghost stated, speaking for the first time in this discussion.

"What kind of signal?" Niko asked, perking up a bit.

"I'm zeroing in on it now. It's a beacon, coming from an area in the Ishtar Region. I'm detecting life forms surrounding it." Her Ghost explained to them.

"Vex?" Niko suggested, but her Ghost shook side to side.

"No. It's human."

Carmen clapped her hands together audibly with a cheer while Tobias and Niko gave a sigh of relief.

"Crap man, I was starting to get scared." Niko breathed out as he leaned back against the wall.

"Phew, you and me both." Tobias said as he took a few deep breaths. Hopefully this would be the lead they need to start figuring out what happened.

"So it looks like our next stop is Venus huh?" Niko's Ghost asked, getting a nod from the trio. "But uh, how do you guys plan to get there. We don't have any ships."

"There's still Fallen on the Moon. We could always _borrow_ one of their ships." Carmen pointed out as she eyed her Ghost. It rolled its optic at her in response.

"That's the plan alright." Niko stated, getting a nod of agreement from Tobias.

"The accelerator I was talking about earlier. According to my scans, there are Fallen encamped around it. You should be able to collect a Skiff from them there."

* * *

Diana rose up from her cot with a groan, wrinkling her nose as her head throbbed. What happened?

The last thing she could remember clearly, was that she had somehow gone back to the Reef Wars. Back to the day when the Amethyst Reef Station had been attacked. She had safely delivered her family to one of the transports for them to escape this attack, only for them to get massacred upon leaving the station.

Then she had gone out into space with the intention of fighting off the House of Wolves on her own.

And then, it was like she had woken up from a dream. Looking around the small room she had been placed in, Diana frowned at the sight of it. She had no idea where she was.

Attempting to sit upright though, Diana had to remain still as her headache intensified. After a minute or so, Diana raised he head to look around once again, as if to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Nothing had changed though.

"Ghost?" She called out as she straightened up.

"Great, you finally woke up." Her Ghost exclaimed as it took shape in front of her.

"What's going on? Where am I?" She asked.

"Currently, you're located on the Earth's Moon in a small abandoned outpost." Her Ghost explained.

"And what about everyone else? Where are they?" She asked as he rose to her feet, testing her balance a bit as she swayed more than she was comfortable with.

"They are a few miles to the west of our location. They're on a mission to hijack a Fallen Skiff." Her Ghost said, causing Diana to blink several times after hearing this.

"What for?"

"To get off world. Since returning from the Ascendant Realm, we've lost access to our vehicles, so we've turned to the Fallen for transportation."

"Wait, what happened that we don't have our ships?"

"The Vanguard…has been decimated." Her Ghost began as it hovered over to the entrance of her small room. Diana followed her small companion, heading out into the doorway so that she could go down to the lower level.

"Decimated? By what?"

"We still haven't been able to determine the cause, or what's happened. However, we've detected a small human settlement on Venus that we're hoping can give us some answers about what happened." Her Ghost explained to her as they came down to the entrance of the outpost. Diana raised her hand, motioning for her Ghost to stop as they stepped out into the sunlight.

This was way too much for her to take in-in one shot. Her Ghost tinted the visor on her helmet, darkening her surroundings a bit as Diana looked around. She was definitely on the Moon.

"Are you feeling alright Diana?" Her Ghost asked curiously as the two of them moved around the base of the outpost, coming to stop at the edge of the cliff it rested on.

"I have this headache, but it's lightening up." She replied.

"Oh, okay. There was something I wanted to talk to you about, but it can wait."

Diana smiled a bit at her Ghost's concern for her. It was one of the luxuries that she would often forget about. Her small companion had always been at her side since she had become a Guardian, and it had always been looking out for her no matter the situation.

"No, you don't have to wait. What's on your mind?" Diana asked in return.

"Diana, I'm not in the least bit suspicious of you, but there is something about you that has given me a cause for concern." Her Ghost stated as it looked directly at her. The tone it was using was serious, something that her Ghost didn't use often.

"What are you talking about?"

"While you were in the Ascendant Realm, there was a point where you had been trapped in an illusion created by your opponent." Her Ghost explained, surprising Diana.

"So is that why I don't remember anything?" She asked, receiving a nod from her Ghost.

"Ye-up. But while you were trapped in those illusions, there was a point where I began to detect the Darkness within you." Her Ghost stated. "Now I know that Eris already told you that because you used the Ascendant Sword to fight Crota, you possess some of the Darkness. But this time, it began to manifest itself."

"Wait, what did you just say?" Diana said, unsure of if she had heard that correctly.

"The Darkness within you…you were actually using it." Her Ghost confirmed for her. Diana felt a sudden chill run down her spine at this piece of information. The Darkness was manifesting itself in her? How was this possible?

"Wha-What was I doing with it?" Diana asked softly.

"You weren't using it intentionally per say, but it empowered you to break a stasis field Tobias had placed on you for a few moments." Her Ghost went on. "So this is why I'm asking you, how are you feeling right now."

"I feel…fine." Diana responded after a few moments. There was nothing that felt out of the ordinary outside of the light headache she had right now. Looking down at her hands, Diana began to summon a small amount of Void Light, deciding that she would check again just to be safe.

Feeling the energy gather into her palms, it took shape into a swirling vortex around her hands as it always did. Nothing she hadn't seen or felt before. Relaxing the flow of Void Light, the power dissipated and Diana turned to her Ghost.

"I'm fine." Diana stated, this time with certainty. And her Ghost was happy to see this.

Once her Ghost looked away though, Diana returned her gaze to her hands, noticing the slight tremble of her fingers. There was a raspy voice calling out to her as she began to summon the Void Light. It was calling for her to…delve into the Void. To learn its secrets.

Shaking her head a bit, Diana decided to push this into the back of her mind for now. There were more important issues at hand, such as their current situation.

"Here they come Diana." Her Ghost stated as it looked up at the Fallen Skiff that was approaching the landing pad beside the outpost.

As the spacecraft came around the outpost and came to a stop, one of the small entry points on the back of the ship opened up, lowering a short handle bar which Tobias was hanging from. Releasing his hold on the bar, Tobias dropped down to the pad where he began to wave to Diana, calling for her to come over.

"You guys really went and stole a Fallen ship?!" Diana exclaimed as she dashed over to him as the ship settled down, allowing Carmen to climb out as well to stretch a bit.

"Yeah, and I have no clue how so many of them fit inside of this stupid thing." Carmen muttered as she gave the side of their ship a kick. The only space with some room for them was in the cockpit. There were only seats for the pilot and co-pilot, so two of them would have to remain standing. The remainder of the ship was a tight corridor that led to the back of the craft where infantry could be deployed.

"So who's going to tell me what happened?" Diana asked as she looked at Tobias and Carmen.

"We'll fill you in on the way." Niko called out as he peered out from the entrance to the ship. "My Ghost has already mapped a course for Venus, so let's get moving."

 **Venus**

 **Ishtar Region**

Niko leaned back in the pilot's seat of the Skiff, admiring his Ghost as they looked out the lush landscape of Venus. He was shocked that they had actually made to Venus from Earth's Moon using a transport from an enemy of the Vanguard. But his Ghost had no trouble learning how to pilot a Fallen Skiff, and their journey had gone smoothly. The troubling part was the story their Ghosts had shared with them concerning the events within the Ascendant Realm.

How Savathun had trapped them in her illusions. How Titus had come to their rescue and freed them.

"Geez, this…Titus guy is so confusing." Diana mumbled as she shook her head. This was the third time Titus had made an appearance during their battles, and each of their prior engagements Tobias had assured them that he had managed to kill him. But Titus was still out there. "What do you have to do to kill this guy?"

Titus felt his chest become tight as he recalled his dishonesty with the team after they had killed Oryx. He had actually let Titus go that time, believing that Titus was something more than Oryx's puppet. And Tobias was glad to see that his decision had paid off. Without Titus, they all would have fallen before Savathun. Tobias though could only wonder what Titus was doing right now.

"So what's the deal with him? When we fought Oryx he was trying to kill us. Now he's helping us? What is he, friend or foe?" Carmen asked as she glanced at Tobias. "What do you think Tobias?"

"Why are you asking me?" Tobias asked curiously.

"Every time we fight him, you two get to go one on one." Carmen pointed out, getting a nod of agreement from Niko. "Did he ever say anything to you?"

Tobias remained silent for a few moments, wondering if this was his opportunity to come clean about what Titus had told him.

"I believe…that he's our ally." Tobias stated, causing all three of his teammates to look at him, each with their own expression of confusion. "We just didn't know it at first."

"And how did you come to that conclusion?" Diana asked him. She could still vividly remember when the first time they had met Titus beneath the surface of the Earth. There was nothing about Titus that would make her think he was an ally.

"Call it a hunch." Tobias replied, with a small smirk. Niko eyed him for a moment and raised his brow.

"Are you forgetting that he tried to kill us all, twice!" Carmen hollered.

"Hey, when a man has a feeling in his gut, he goes with it." Niko said, silencing Carmen. "If Tobias wants to trust his gut, I say we go with it."

"Thanks Niko." Tobias said with a nod.

"Trust his gut?" Diana repeated, stifling a laugh.

"Well I mean, you ladies like to act like a 'woman's intuition' is a real thing." Niko pointed out, receiving a scoff from Diana.

"Because your belly is so reliable?" Diana exclaimed, getting a grin from Niko.

"Hasn't failed me once." He shot back at her, patting his abdomen.

"As always, I hate to break up your, _wonderful_ , conversation but, we're approaching the settlement that we detected." Niko's Ghost interjected, gaining everyone's attention. Everyone looked out of the front of the cockpit as the ship landed beside a large river.

Carmen was first to dart out of the cockpit, eager to get another look at Venus since she had only spent a few minutes here on her last and only visit. Climbing out of the Skiff, the group of Guardians found that there was a welcoming party for them. Six men, all of which were armed with weapons and wearing oxygen masks had come out of the settlement after seeing a Fallen Skiff land just outside of their home.

But each of them lowered their weapon upon spotting the Guardians, perplexed by their sudden appearance.

The Guardians however, were more concerned with where this settlement was located. Their small little area of solitude was built right just below the entrance to the Vault of Glass.

"I'm not the only one seeing that, right?" Diana asked as she pointed to the circular entrance to the Vex world that the Vanguard had deemed off limits.

"I see it. I just can't believe they were stupid enough to think this was a good idea." Niko said softly as the men approached them.

"Who are you?" One of them barked at the group.

"I'm Captain Diana Amano of the Vanguard. We mean you no harm." Diana stated, taking the lead as she motioned for her team to fall in line behind her.

"A Vanguard Captain?" One of them exclaimed.

"All of them were lost."

"Who did you serve under?"

"Vanguard Commander Zavala." Diana stated. "Is he…alive?"

"No, Commander Zavala was lost with the rest of the Vanguard." One of the men replied as they all approached them now, taking a moment to study each of them.

"What division are you from?" Another inquired.

"Oh, we're not soldiers. We're Guardians." Niko stated, surprising all of them.

"That's…impossible. All of the Guardians died when the Traveler was destroyed three years ago."

The members of Undaunted froze at this statement, taking a moment to glance at once another.

"The Traveler…was…destroyed?" Tobias said slowly, unable to believe he was saying that himself. "But how? Who did all of this?"

The men narrowed their eyes now as they stared at the Guardians. Something didn't sound right.

"Are you really who you say you are?" One of them asked, raising their weapon once again. "All of the Guardians died simultaneously with the Traveler. There hasn't been another Guardian seen since that day. It's impossible for you to be Guardians."

The other men raised their weapons now, uncertain of these people standing before them were threats or not.

"At ease. We're not threat to you." Diana stated, giving them a warning.

"But we _are_ Guardians." Carmen insisted. "And we can prove it to you too."

"There is no need." A new voice interjected from behind the group of men. Everyone looked to see an elderly woman approaching them, walking with the aid of a staff.

"Eva!" The men exclaimed as two of them rushed over to her. "You shouldn't be exerting yourself like this!"

Tobias had thought this woman looked familiar at first glance, but the mention of the name Eva helped him place her face. He was looking at Eva Levante! But she had definitely seen better days.

The last time he had seen her, she had been full of life despite her age and appearance. But now she looked like a shell of her former self.

"I'm fine." Eva muttered as she pushed away their arms, preferring to walk on her own. "But can't you all feel it?"

"Feel what?"

"The Light. The Traveler's Light." She stated as he gaze became fixated on Tobias. "I thought I would never feel it again."

* * *

Undaunted was led into the settlement by Eva and a pair of the soldiers, escorting them to Eva's small home. As they walked through, the people that lived here had flocked to see what all the commotion was about. And the Guardians couldn't help but notice how all of these people had aged visibly.

Arriving at Eva's residence, she invited them inside while and sealed off the doors, motioning for them to remove their helmets. As they revealed her faces to her one by one, Eva smiled warmly at the sight of Tobias.

"I had a feeling it was you." She said before calling for them to follow here into main room of her home. There wasn't much to it. A pair of seats, and a cot for Eva to lay down. She took a seat on a cot and motioned for them to get comfortable. "I'm sorry though, I don't have anything to offer you this time dear."

Tobias realized she was talking about the treats she had shared with him the last few times they had met.

"That's not a problem." Tobias replied, surprised that-that was the first thing she mentioned.

"But can you answer a few questions for us?" Niko asked her as he began to lean against the wall while his teammates took a seat on the floor. If anyone could shed some light on their situation, it was Eva.

"Like what darling?" She asked him sweetly.

"How did all of this happen?" Niko asked as he motioned to their current surroundings. "What happened to the Vanguard? Who attacked us?"

Eva looked down, exhaling softly as she recalled the tragedy as it unfolded.

"It happened, right after the four of you left actually. I remember the day of the earthquake, and how a team of Guardians went to the Earth's core to investigate. They found the Daughters of Oryx there and chased them out. Your fireteam, was tasked with hunting them down on the Dreadnaught. But when you went into the ship, you never returned." Eva revealed, causing each of them to glance at each other sharply.

"What do you mean? We only left a few days ago maybe." Carmen pointed out, but Eva shook her head.

"That was three years ago. You four went in, and disappeared. But someone else left the Dreadnaught after a few days." Eva said as she looked toward Tobias. "Your doppelganger."

"Titus?" Tobias said, causing Eva to raise her brow.

"Is that what he's called?" She asked before shrugging her shoulders. "That doesn't matter. When he came out, it was like, nothing any of us had ever felt."

Eva could still remember that day. Some of the Guardians stationed on the Dreadnaught sent out a priority alert that a Rupture had opened. Initially they thought it marked the return of fireteam Undaunted, but Titus was the one who exited this Rupture.

"I still remember the chills." Eva said as she rubbed her shoulders. "He was so far away from us, but everyone could feel him coming for us."

"Are you saying that…Titus is responsible for all of this?" Tobias exclaimed as a feeling of uncertainty washed over him. Eva looked at him grimly and gave him a slow nod.

"He came out of the Dreadnaught, and he, just slaughtered everyone. He went to Mars, and killed everything there, the Cabal, the Guardians. Then he went to the Reef. Whatever stood n his path towards Earth, he destroyed." Eva revealed. "The Vanguard evacuated Neo Chicago, but he arrived as we started to leave. Only a few ships made it off Earth."

As much as Diana wanted to believe in Tobias' hunch concerning Titus, she knew that there couldn't be any good in that man. Not after he butchered a team of Guardians and attacked them on the High War. This only solidified her belief that he was their enemy, and not even Tobias could deny that now.

"Those of us that made it to Venus, gathered here. This is what remains of mankind." Eva stated before placing a hand over her mouth. She had been through the dark times, seen the horrors of the Collapse. Been through the battles it took to establish the Last City. Watched as the Guardians became their powerful protectors that could overcome any obstacle.

But she would never forget the moment when she witnessed the death of all Guardians.

* * *

 _Eva was seated in the cockpit of the large cruiser that she had boarded under the order of the Vanguard. This was the second time they were attempting to relocate mankind to protect them from certain destruction. But everything happened too quickly this time. Titus was there by the time the evacuation began. Under the leadership of Commander Zavala, the Guardians gathered to make a last ditch effort to protect the Traveler from Titus, and hopefully create a little more time for the evacuation to continue._

 _The younger Guardians though, were tasked with aiding the evacuation, and leading mankind to their new refuge. The trio of Guardians that had been assigned to her cruiser, were all determined to succeed in their assignment. They had gone around the ship, assuring the passengers that everything would be okay. That the Vanguard would succeed, and that they would return home once again. And that they would lay down their lives to keep everyone safe._

 _But as they broke out of the Earth's atmosphere, two of the Guardians were in the cockpit discussing their destination with the pilots when their Ghosts suddenly came out of their chests. Their Ghosts were_ _sparkling though, which immediately gained Eva's attention as the Guardians separated themselves from everyone else to speak with their Ghosts._

 _There was a solemn exchange of words between them before one of the Guardians fell to their knees, tears rolling down his face. The Guardian that stood upright though went to the center of the cockpit where he called for everyone's attention. He too was beginning to sparkle like his Ghost, glowing faintly._

 _"I'm sorry everyone, but…we have to go now." He declared, his voice soft._

 _"What, what do you mean?" One of the pilots exclaimed._

 _"We failed. The Traveler…was destroyed." He revealed to them after a pause._

 _"So, what's happening to you?" They asked him as the sparkling around him began to intensify._

 _"From dust I came, and to dust I shall return."_

* * *

Eva exhaled deeply once again as she returned her gaze to the four Guardians in front of her.

"We've been here for almost three years now. But our days here our numbered." She stated. "We're all, dying."

Niko and Diana glanced at each other quickly. They had seen it while they were passing through the settlement. How the people here looked older.

The Traveler's Light slowed the human aging process considerably since it had arrived before the Golden Age. Their lifespan had grown longer and longer. People still died, but it had become something that happened infrequently. But now, it was clear that without the Traveler's Light, everyone was racing towards their natural death.

"What about Titus? Where did he go?" Tobias asked her, causing Evan to shake her head.

"We don't know. He disappeared after he had destroyed the Earth." She replied, causing a silence to set in as the members of Undaunted put the pieces together.

"So, we're three years in the future." Niko stated as his Ghost took shape, giving him a nod. "How did that happen?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Carmen said as she shrugged her shoulders.

"It could very well have to do with the time you spent in the Ascendant Realm. Toland did say that time flows differently there." Diana's Ghost pointed out.

"We traveled to the future, and missed an epic fight." Niko concluded, crossing his arms with a sigh.

"That, was not an 'epic fight', it was a massacre!'" Eva snapped at him uncharacteristically, tightly grasping the edge of her cot. Her hands were shaking.

"I'm sorry." Niko apologized as he approached her, placing a hand on her small shoulder. "Is there a way that we can fix this?"

"Beating Titus now won't do anything." Diana declared. "We'd have to go back in time."

"She's right." Her Ghost added as it took shape beside her.

"But, how are we going to go back in time?" Carmen asked them.

"We've done before, haven't we?" Diana asked as she looked at Niko.

"The Vex." He stated with a grin. They had used the Vex time portals to go back in time once and return. Perhaps they could do it again.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up. The Vex no longer inhabit Venus." Eva stated, putting a small damper on their hopes. "However, their constructs still stand. We have a scientist who has been studying them since we arrived. Speaking to him might help you all develop a plan. His name is Bryce Emerton and you'll find him in the campus about a mile to the east."

"Thanks Eva." Niko said as he nodded to his teammates. He, Carmen and Diana quickly reactivated their helmets as they rose up, heading toward the exit of Eva's home.

"Tobias, are you coming?" Diana asked him, noticing that he was still seated.

"I'll catch up." He said, motioning for her to keep up with the two Hunters that had already gone outside.

"Okay, don't take too long though." She said before heading off as well.

Tobias remained seated on the floor, returning to his thoughts. How could Titus had done all of this? He had trusted him. Allowed him to live after their duel on the High War. Titus had even promised him that he wouldn't regret that decision. There was still something that didn't make sense to him though. To his understanding, Titus had saved them from Savathun on the High Coven. What was he really doing there then? Was he trying to save them, or was he there for another reason?

Tobias inhaled sharply, chewing on his lower lip. What was going on right now?

"Tobias…" Eva said softly, getting his attention. "I remember the few occasions we spoke before all of this happened?"

"You do?" Tobias asked her, and she gave him a nod and a small smile.

"Of course dear. But I see that you're still tormenting yourself." She stated.

"I don't see why I shouldn't. All of this, shouldn't have happened." Tobias exclaimed in response as he motioned to their surroundings. "If I had just finished everything on the Dreadnaught like I should have, no one would've died. The Earth would be fine. Everything, would be okay."

"Tobias, we all have our regrets. But not everyone is fortunate enough to have the ability to go back and change them." Eva pointed out to him. "So for your sake, follow your teammates, find you way back, and set everything in its place. And at the end of the day, there will be no need for an explanation and excuse, because there will be no regrets."

Tobias stared at her for a moment, and then he gave her a nod. Rising to his feet, he quickly donned his helmet and tapped his chest. He would reclaim everything that was lost to Titus.

 **Campus 9**

"This should be it." Carmen's Ghost said as the fireteam of four reached the exit of a stone corridor that led out into the area Eva had instructed them to visit. It was funny location that was diverse in elevation, with small buildings scattered around. It was devoid of any activity however, with the roar of the nearby waterfall drowning out their voices.

"Switching to a private comms channel." Diana's Ghost declared as it set up a channel for them to speak as their helmets shut out noise from the waterfall.

"I've already got a reading on Bryce's location." Niko's Ghost declared as it marked to location on everyone's helmet interface. He was in the small building farthest from them, darting around the consoles set up in there.

Bryce Emerton was a bright young man who prided himself on his work ethic when he worked for the Vanguard. If there was anything he wanted people to say about him, it was that he was hardest worker they knew. And his supervisors in the Vanguard couldn't say that enough. But with how recent events unfolded, Bryce found himself in a small settlement on Venus with the last of mankind.

He didn't really know what to do with himself at first. No else did either. And almost everyone had lost hope. Bryce however, couldn't accept that this would be the end. Recalling what he had read in the Vanguard archives concerning the Vex, he knew of their ability to travel through time, so he began to study and research the Vex constructs of Venus now that he was so close to them. He was searching for something, for anything that would help them fight against their inevitable extinction.

"Drat." Bryce muttered as he stared at the notes that had been projected as a hologram from the console in front of him. "If only I had a live specimen to see how it would interact with the Conflux…"

"Umm, hello~?" A voice called out, causing Bryce to whirl around in surprise. He never had company when he visited Campus 9, and no one has ever come looking for him either.

Seeing a group of four Guardians standing at the entrance to this small lab, he furrowed his brow.

"Who are you guys?" Bryce asked them as he drew the small sidearm he had with him, pointing it at them.

"You can put that away, we're not here to hurt you." Niko said, an eyebrow raised that Bryce was carrying a weapon.

"Not that a little thing like that would've done much to us." Carmen noted, shooting Bryce a grin as her helmet was deactivated. Bryce raised his eyebrows at the sight of each of their faces, coming to a stop at Carmen. Running a hand through his hair, he returned Carmen's smile with a cheeky one of his own.

"Well, hello beautiful." He said as he approached Carmen, causing her cheeks to redden in response. "There's not too many pretty faces around these parts. What are you doing way out here?"

Niko gave Bryce a narrow glance as he positioned himself in between them.

"How old are you buddy?" Niko asked him, a smirk forming as Bryce was forced to acknowledge his tall stature.

"I'm twenty four." He replied as he tucked his sidearm back into the holster on his belt.

"So then, what are you doing way out here?" Diana asked him.

"You guys still haven't answered my question. Obviously you came from the settlement, but I've never seen any of you there." Bryce pointed out them.

"We're Guardians." Carmen stated as she stepped around Niko, nudging him slightly as a hint for him to stay out of the way.

"Guardians?" He repeated as he glanced at each of them. "For real?"

Carmen shot him a smirk and nodded. Bryce raised his eyebrows at her and returned the smile. Niko however began to snap his fingers in front of Bryce's face to get his attention.

"Hey man, we need you to focus for a little bit." Niko stated, causing Bryce to exhale as he took a step back now.

"As far as I know, all of the Guardians died with the Traveler. How do I know you guys are the real deal?" Bryce stated as he gave them all a narrow glance. Despite his interest in Carmen, he was still uncertain about their identity.

"Does this look fake?" Niko asked him as he pointed his tanto at him, the weapon becoming enveloped in Arc Light. Bryce's eyes came crossed as he stared at the tip of the blade that was in front of him, leaning back a bit at the sight of it. He recognized this ability, signature to Bladedancers.

"Yeesh, okay, you guys aren't all talk." Bryce said as he motioned for Niko to lower his weapon. "But that doesn't explain what you're doing out here. Like I said, every Guardian died three years ago. So how are you guys, you know, here?"

"We don't really know ourselves." Diana began as she placed her hand on Niko's shoulder, pulling him back a bit. "We were sent on a mission in the Ascendant Realm, and when we got back, we found everything like this."

"The Ascendant Realm…" Bryce mumbled, scratching the back of his neck. According to his memory, there was a four man fireteam that ventured into the Ascendant Realm. But he didn't get to learn anything significant about this mission since he was only grunt in the Vanguard at the time.

Looking up at Diana once again, it was then that Bryce finally placed her face. After the defeat of the Taken King, she had given a speech and been given a medal of honor by the Vanguard. Her whole team had! This was fireteam Undaunted.

"I remember you guys!" He exclaimed. "You took out Oryx!"

"Yup, that was me alright." Carmen stated with a cheeky grin.

"Us." Tobias interjected, shooting her a glance. Carmen only snickered in response.

"Yeah, I remember that you guys got the mission to hunt down the Daughters of Oryx on the Dreadnaught." Bryce said, recalling what details he could about this event.

"We ended up in the Ascendant Realm actually chasing down Ir Anuk." Tobias pointed out.

"Right, and we just finished that mission." Diana confirmed, with a nod of agreement from the rest of her team.

"But it was three years ago that you guys left on it." Bryce stated.

"So we spent three years in the Ascendant Realm." Tobias concluded.

"How did something like that happen though?" Diana asked as they tried to find an answer for this. "It only felt like we were in there for a few hours."

"Toland did say that time flows differently there." Diana Ghost stated as it took shape beside her. "Not to mention you all did spend an extended period of time there."

"No we didn't." Diana replied, recalling the time they had spent pursuing Ir Anuk.

"Actually, we did." Niko admitted. "It was while you were unconscious. Carmen and I really had no idea where to go. We were lost on those ships for a while until Toland showed up." Niko explained, which confirmed the thought Diana's Ghost had.

"Then that explains it. The time you spent wandering the Crossroads may have resulted in you all missing a significant amount of time in our realm." Her Ghost said to them.

"So that's what happens without Toland's guidance." Diana mumbled.

"I guess." Niko said as he shrugged his shoulders. "Once he started leading the way, we were out of there in no time."

"Geez, so that's what happened." Diana said, but Tobias punched his palm to get everyone's attention.

"Forget all of that. Right now, we're working on a way to go back. We can undo all of this." Tobias said he looked around, trying to rally his teammates.

"So you guys are…trying to go back in time?" Bryce asked them. "Is something like that even possible?"

"We know a way. The Vex." Niko stated. "We heard you're the guy to talk to about them."

"Ah…well I am your guy." Bryce said slowly. "But…there's no Vex here if you're trying to capture them. They left Venus when we arrived."

"They left?" Niko said, furrowing his brow. He didn't know much about the Vex, but he was certain that they were nothing to take lightly. Did the Vex flee Venus because of Titus, or did something else happen?

"So now what?" Carmen asked as she looked at her teammates. They were at a loss as well.

"I don't know. Skolas used a Vex Mind Core to access their network." Diana's Ghost reminded them. "If we can't obtain one of those, I honestly don't know what to tell you guys."

"I mean…I don't really know what to tell you guys. I've been studying the Vex constructs since I landed on Venus, and it's like they're dead now that the Vex are gone." Bryce explained to them. "I've been all over the place, and I've only seen one place that looked like it might still be in use."

"What place?" Diana asked as she perked up at this bit of information.

"In the Maat Mons, there was Vex Conflux there that was still active. But without a live specimen I couldn't get it to respond to anything." Bryce continued. "I don't know if that'll be of any use to you, but if you want to try something."

"No…that might actually help." Diana's Ghost said.

"But he said without an actual Vex specimen we can't do anything." Carmen pointed out.

"That may be true. But we are still in possession of the Eye of Zydron. This was previously attached to a Vex Gate Lord, so it may serve as an equivalent to one of their Mind Cores." Diana Ghost explained, and everyone seemed to agree on this.

"We're back in business baby!" Niko exclaimed as he and Diana gave each other a high five.

"Can you give the coordinates of that Conflux?" Diana's Ghost asked Bryce as it flew over to him.

"Yeah, no problem." Bryce said before he turned to Carmen. "And if you guys do fix everything, make sure you pay me a visit beautiful."

Tobias and Niko stifled a laugh as the formerly 'rough and tough' Carmen giggled at Bryce's comment, beginning to twirl some of the loose strands of her curly locks.

"Come on people, we're burning daylight!" Diana called out to her team as she donned her helmet again, beginning to clap her hands to get everyone moving.

 **Maat Mons**

 **Shores of Time**

"Dude, I have so much respect for that kid if he got all the way out here on foot." Niko stated as the four of them jumped from the Skiff, landing on the flat extension that protruded from a small forested area. The whole area seemed to have a white line that passed down the middle of it, showing the great contrast between the two sides.

One side possessed the natural forests and plant life of Venus, while the other had clearly been altered by the Vex, featuring their constructs. And what the team was searching for rested on the uninhabited Vex side of this area. Venturing through a small cave, the four them stepped back out into daylight where they found what they were searching for resting in a small clearing with a creek passing through it. At the very center of this spot was the Vex conflux Bryce had told them about, glowing softly as they approached it.

"Ghost, if you would do us the honors." Diana said as she invited her Ghost to take shape and investigate the conflux.

"With pleasure." It replied, beginning to perform a scan of the object. "Yup, Bryce was right, this one is still active. But it's locked."

"Locked?" Diana repeated.

"I don't know if you remember me saying this, but the Vex are capable of locking things out of time. This conflux is keeping something out of time." Her Ghost explained to them.

"Keeping something out of time?" Tobias exclaimed. "Like what?"

"Obviously I don't know, but if the Vex have it locked away, I'd assume it's dangerous." Diana's Ghost replied.

"Thanks captain obvious." Carmen mumbled as she rolled her eyes.

"So what do you guys want to do?" Diana asked them. "We have no idea what's on the other side. What if they've got some kind of monster locked in there?"

"We'll just do everyone a favor and kill it." Niko replied as he called for his Stillpiercer. "What I want to know though, is how is this going to let us go back in time?"

"By using this conflux, we'll be stepping beyond the parameters of time. We'll no longer be attached to the timeline we're currently in, but I'm not certain how we'll find a way to go back." Diana's Ghost explained.

"Okay, so if we're outside of time, then it's just a matter of find a way to go back then." Niko stated.

"If we have a Gate Lord's head, couldn't we just do the same thing Skolas did and find a portal to use?" Tobias asked them.

"Exactly. Bryce said everything else has been inactive since the Vex are gone. But, it seems more than likely that the Vex must still be present in this area that they have locked out of time, so we should be able to find an active portal there that we can use to enter their network." Diana's Ghost said, getting nods all around from everyone. Things were falling into place. They had found their way back home.

"Well then, take us inside." Diana said as she motioned for her Ghost to go to work.

"Stand back then."

The Eye of Zydron appeared in front of the conflux, and was placed into a small gap at the center of the small structure, causing it to shine brightly. There was a sudden roar as the area quaked for a moment, then a pillar of light rose from the conflux, head straight up into the sky. Soon enough though the pillar made contact with a transparent dome that had covering the entire area. As the four Guardians looked around, their surroundings began to change. The mountains that were around them disappeared, being replaced by towering stone buildings, that were decorated with lush plants.

Soon enough the ground beneath them changed, placing them had what seemed like the heart of a marketplace. The conflux still remained, but the Guardians were in shock as they now stood at the heart of a stone city.

"What, what just happened?" Tobias whispered out.

"This is what was hidden away by the conflux." Diana's Ghost replied.

"But, this doesn't make any sense. What's a city like this doing on Venus?" Niko asked as he looked around. It kind of reminded him of his life in Athens.

"Let's get a move on. We can do some sightseeing while we move." Diana said to them as she began to walk ahead of them. The city was completely empty, their footsteps echoing as they moved.

"This is, amazing!" Carmen exclaimed as she looked around. She had never seen anything like it. This city couldn't even compare to Neo Chicago, or the Last City, but it was certainly a sight to behold.

"According to human history, this city mirrors the civilization that had been built by the Aztecs on Earth." Carmen's Ghost stated after intensely studying some of the buildings.

"The Aztecs? I've never heard of them." Carmen replied.

"Well of course you haven't, I could never get you to read a book." Her Ghost said to her.

"Why should I read a book when I've got you to tell me everything?" Carmen retorted.

"As if you'd listen." Her Ghost muttered.

"Incoming!" Diana's Ghost barked suddenly, putting everyone on high alert. "We've got multiple Vex signature approaching…but, something odd about them."

Grasping their weapons now, the four Guardians turned their backs to one another, looking out in each direction as their enemies approached. Just as Diana's Ghost had said, the Vex arrived, some of them landing in the streets, while others hung from the sides of the buildings, staring at them.

"What…the hell?" Tobias said softly, his hands trembling softly as he held his Tlaloc. What was he looking at?

These Vex…they weren't at all like what they had seen before.

"I thought those readings were weird." Diana's Ghost said to them. "These Vex, have human readings as well."

Staring down the sights of his Tlaloc, Tobias inhaled sharply as he looked at one of these 'Vex'. It was as if a skinny man had the armor of a Vex Goblin infused to his skin in various places. Some of them had mechanical limbs, while others only had chest armor. But the one thing they had in common was that they possessed the head a Vex unit, with the single red optic that glowed eerily, sending shivers down their spines.

* * *

In the palace that rested on the north end of the city, a man was seated on his stone throne, with the symbol of an open eye acting as the sun etched into the wall above him. A woman entered the throne room, running up to the base of the throne where she kneeled down before this man.

"Master, the Guardians have arrived." She stated, causing the man to crack a smile as he rose from his seat.

"Excellent, bring them to me."

A/N

I think this was biggest chapter I've posted to date, and I really enjoyed writing this one to after the cliffhanger I left off on from the last chapter. The story arc has a lot of twists and turns, from the whole business with the Daughters of Oryx, to chasing them onto the High Coven, to fighting Savathun, now Titus and the 'different' Vex. And guess what…it's only going to get crazier from here. See you all at the next chapter, and thanks for all the reviews!

Destiny 2 is amazing! So far I'm loving almost every minute of it. I'm still in the honey moon stage with it, even though it's been almost a month, so my opinion of it still has a ton a bias. But I'm really enjoying it at the moment.

There was an announcement on my profile that I was going on hiatus with this story. Originally I was supposed to be starting college this month, but my plans fell through so I'll still be writing. I intend to reapply and start in January, so for right now I might have just delayed the hiatus. Just a heads up for you all.

As always though, thanks for reading!


	36. Pursuit

**Chapter 36**

* * *

Diana had a difficult time gauging how much time had passed since they had left Earth on their latest mission. It had been like any other day in Neo Chicago for her when a sudden earthquake hit. She had been among the dozens of Guardians that responded immediately to the disaster, doing everything in their power to protect the civilians. The Vanguard was quick to determine that this earthquake was unnatural, which prompted an investigation of what was taking place beneath the surface of the Earth. Waiting for the Guardians within the Earth was the Daughters of Oryx who were tampering with the core of their planet. The Guardians wouldn't stand for this.

Ir Halak was put to death without a moment by the fireteam Diana had been partnered with, but Ir Anuk had managed to escape them. The remaining Daughter was soon spotted on the Dreadnaught, entering the Ascendant Realm. None other than fireteam Undaunted was summoned to pursue her.

Venturing into the Ascendant Realm without proper guidance though, Undaunted stepped into the domain of the Witch Queen, Savathun. Her deceptive powers had almost resulted in the fall of this fireteam, if not for Titus of all people intervening. Telling them to flee the High Coven, Undaunted began to wander the Crossroads in search of an exit to the Hive Ascendant Realm. Upon returning to their realm though, they discovered the hard way that they had gone three years into the future. Apparently missing a fight like no other, one where the Traveler was destroyed resulting in the death of all Guardians, and the Earth had been left as nothing more than wasteland.

Now their objective had changed once again. They had to find a way back to the time when they had first started this extended mission. Their search had taken them to Venus, into a place unlike anything Diana had ever seen before, and accompanying it was their latest threat. Surrounding fireteam Undaunted was human like Vex, all of which were silently observing them from various angles. Each of the Guardians had their weapons raised, waiting to see who would be the first to fire. Them, or the Vex.

"What are you guys waiting for? Shoot em'." Carmen whispered to her teammates. That was normally her first instinct, but even Carmen was hesitating to pull the trigger on this new form of the Vex.

"Heck no, I don't even know what those things are." Niko responded in the same hushed tone.

"I'm with Niko on this one. Those things seem almost, human.' Tobias noted, getting a nod of agreement from Diana. In fact, Tobias' observation made her want to test something.

"Wait, lower your weapons." Diana stated as she released her fusion rifle. The weapon became pixelated before it was stored away by her Ghost. She then took a step toward their nearest of these Vex Goblins. Realizing what Diana was attempting, her teammates lowered their weapons as well, watching anxiously as she approached the Vex.

"Careful Diana." Niko warned her, tightening his grip on his sniper rifle. He respected Diana's boldness, but he wasn't sure how the Vex would respond to this.

"We mean you no harm." Diana stated as she came close to a single Goblin. Extending a hand toward it, the Goblin tilted its head before mirroring her action. The hand of this particular Goblin was mechanical, but this didn't deter Diana as their hands met. It was cold to the touch despite the gloves she was wearing, but this didn't stop Diana from giving it a squeeze as she looked into the red eye of the Goblin.

"They're not, enemies." Diana said slowly, the astonishment evident in her voice. She was actually shaking hands with a Vex Goblin.

The Goblin remained still, scanning their hands briefly before it whirred. Diana felt a chill as the Goblin down decided to squeeze her hand. Whether or not it was mimicking Diana, or if it was an act of aggression would remain unknown. Diana's hand shattered within the grip of the Goblin, and she screamed in pain.

In an instant the head of the Goblin in front of her exploded, and its body went limp allowing Diana to tear her hand free. Niko looked down the scope of his Stillpiercer, lining up his next shot. He knew there was no way these Vex wouldn't attack them. All of their enemies would always be enemies. The gunfight broke out as the Vex returned fire with no mercy now.

"We can't stay here!" Diana called out, grasping her now broken hand. They were surrounded on all sides, and trying to fight back against the Vex in the tight streets if this city would certainly result in them being shot down.

"Where are we going to go?" Carmen hollered back as she rattled off a magazine from her Ace of Spades, taking out a Goblin with each bullet.

"Up!" Diana responded as she jumped into the air. Bounding from one wall to the next, Diana scaled the buildings until she reached the roof stops. Her teammates quickly followed her lead, and in just a few moments all four of them were on the roof tops where they had just a moment to breathe a sigh of relief. Then they were bombarded by the Vex as they warped up to the roof tops as well.

Weapons drawn once again, Undaunted continued their battle against the Vex Goblins whose numbers didn't seem to diminish.

"What now?" Niko asked, taking a hold of his tanto as he began to summon some Arc Light.

"Stand down Guardians!" A new voice barked, gaining everyone's attention. From several roofs away, they could see a woman in Titan armor jumping to them, waving her arms in an effort to end the fight. "Everyone, stand down!"

They Vex came to a stop immediately at the command of this woman as she landed on the roof where the Guardians had been standing. Each of them shared a nervous glance with one another at this new development. Someone capable of commanding the Vex even though it clear she wasn't one of them. This extended mission they had been on couldn't get any stranger.

"Who are you?" Niko demanded, removing his tanto from its sheath. The blade began to crackle with electricity as Niko became ignited in Arc Light. He trusted nothing about this area.

"Stand down Hunter, none of us meant you any harm." The Titan stated firmly, motioning for Niko to put his weapon away. He only watched her skeptically in response as she now directed her attention on the Vex around them. "Get out of here guys, and don't think you won't be punished for this!"

Tobias couldn't help but notice that the Goblins seemed to cringe at her mention of a punishment. Then they began to warp away until it was just the Guardians that remained. This allowed Diana a moment to study the Titan that had come to their rescue. Everything from her face to her figure was concealed by the armor she war, but there was no denying that it was Titan armor. Could she be a Guardian…and if so, what was she doing here of all places?

"You didn't answer my question." Niko stated rather pointedly, putting away his tanto while the Arc Light surrounding him faded.

"Well first I'd like to apologize for this misunderstanding. We don't get visitors, like…ever." She revealed to them before placing a hand on her chest, almost as if she was posing to introduce herself. "I am…"

Just before she could utter her name, she looked off in the distance, placing a hand on the side of her helmet. She was talking to someone, nodding her head few times before she became focused on them once again.

"I'll introduce myself properly once you've met my master." She replied now, confirming their suspicions. There were other people here.

"So then, can you tell us what the heck happened to those Vex? They didn't look anything like the ones I've heard about." Carmen pointed out.

"Everything will be explained to you by my master." The Titan declared as she motioned for them to follow her. "Now come along, let's not keep him waiting."

* * *

Now arriving at the entrance to the temple, Tobias glanced over his shoulder at the long staircase that they had just journeyed up to reach its entrance. This temple towered over the city, providing them with an excellent view of the entire area from up here.

"Whoa, we're so high up!" Carmen marveled as she joined him in looking down at the city.

"This way." The Titan called out for them as she stood by the entrance to the temple. Following her into the temple, they stepped into short but dark corridor with a stairway on both sides leading down into the depths of the temple. The Titan continued past both of these, taking them to the room ahead of them where they could see daylight. "This is his throne room. Make sure you address him properly."

"Is he some kind of king?" Carmen asked as they stepped into the room, their eyes being drawn upward to the ceiling that was filled with skylights. The rays of sunlight that entered the room seemed to work in tandem with the vibrant drapes and cushions that decorated that furniture that had been sculpted from stone. The subject however stood at the opposite end of the room.

It was a man of average height with tanned skin standing out on a balcony, observing the lush scenery that surrounded this city. He was dressed in a white tunic, with a thick golden belt around his waist. He moved his head a bit as they approached him, but he kept his back to turned to them. Now standing before her master, the Titan kneeled down and motioned for the Guardians accompanying her to do the same.

"Master, I brought them as you requested." She stated as the four Guardians lowered themselves.

"Gratitude." He replied softly. "You may remain for this discussion."

The man turned now, revealing his face to them. The first feature that everyone took note of was the black markings around his right eye which Niko recognized almost immediately.

"You're…Egyptian?" Niko stated as he pointed at him. The man blinked for a moment before he bellowed with laughter.

This caused the man to bellow with laughter.

"Hah, it's been so long since someone called me that. I had almost forgotten my roots." He noted with a smile. "You are correct Niko, I was an Egyptian in my former life. Unfortunately…"

The man began to rub at the markings around his eye, which were unaffected by his attempts to smear it.

"This make up doesn't come off." He continued, shooting them a grin. Carmen shorted in response and everyone relaxed a bit.

"How'd you know he was Egyptian?" Niko's Ghost asked as it appeared beside the Hunter.

"Actually, I'd like to myself." The man added, eager to hear Niko's answer.

"In my former life, before I became a Guardian, I visited Egypt. I saw what your people had done during their heyday, like the pyramids. They were…astounding." Niko explained, causing Diana to stifle a laugh.

"That's a big word there Niko." Diana pointed out with a smirk.

"Oh shut it." He retorted before returning his focus to the man. "Some of the people I had met had those same markings around their eyes."

"Ah, well I'm glad to know 'my people' were so memorable to you." He said, slapping Niko's shoulder. "But think it's time we got down to business. That look Tobias is giving me means he's thinking pretty hard at the moment."

Diana raised an eyebrow at this. She was positive that they had never encountered this man before, yet he knew two of their names and she was certain that probably knew Carmen's and her own.

"You know me too?" Tobias inquired, rather dumbfounded.

"Of course I knew you Tobias, we've worked together in the past. I'm shocked that you haven't recognized me yet." He stated, looking at Tobias expectantly. Tobias though, couldn't place his face. The only thing that seemed familiar about this man was his voice.

"No, I'm sorry. Nothing is coming to me." Tobias replied.

"That's okay, my associate who met with you said you didn't remember her either." He noted, shrugging his shoulders. "So I guess we'll-"

"You're…Osiris." Diana stated, causing the group stare at her, all of them wearing expressions of shock. She wasn't looking at him though, Diana was focused on the small throne that was against the wall of the room, carefully placed beneath the symbol of an open eye that shined like the sun. The symbol of Osiris.

Everyone glanced in the direction she was looking, and the rest of her team recognized the symbol as well before returning their gaze to the man.

"Wait… _you're_ Osiris?!" Carmen exclaimed.

He only grinned at them in response.

"Yes, he is." The Titan revealed to them, knowing full well that he wouldn't answer that question directly.

"We thought you were dead." Niko said to him.

"What are you doing here? How did you end up here?" Diana demanded to know. Even with all of the information in the Origin Libraries in the Reef about Osiris, Diana still hadn't been able to determine what had happened to the old Warlock. Now all of a sudden she found herself staring at him face to face.

Osiris looked around at the four Guardians, all of them eager to know the answer to these questions. He began to walk toward the table within his throne room, inviting them to join him there. Leaning back into his seat, Osiris snorted a bit as he watched the Guardians around him become restless in their seats.

"Well?" Diana asked him, motioning for him to proceed.

"I guess I'll start with, our location." Osiris began, lifting his arms as a gesture to their surroundings. "This, is Aaru. My own little kingdom of sorts."

"Kingdom?" Carmen repeated.

"Yes, and the Hybrids you encountered, they are my servants." Osiris replied.

"What hybrids?"

"The Vex you ran into earlier. We refer to them as Hybrids." The Titan interjected.

"My Ghost said that the readings it got from those 'Hybrids', had human readings as well." Diana pointed out, receiving a nod from Osiris and the Titan. "What are they?"

Osiris smiled at them, his eyes becoming bright at her question.

"As always, the Warlocks are inquisitive." Osiris commented before glancing at Niko and Carmen. "While their Hunter counterparts shoot first, and ask questions later."

"Hey, there's a reason Hunters have the longest life span among Guardians." Carmen pointed out with a huff.

"Where did you hear that?" Carmen's Ghost asked her, taking shape beside her. "According to some statistics from the Vanguard, Hunters are usually among the first to die out in the field."

"I've never died, not even once." Carmen stated, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"You're getting off topic Carmen." Tobias said to her, motioning to Osiris who was waiting to speak.

"Thank you Tobias." He said kindly. "Now to answer Diana's question. The Vex have two very powerful abilities. I'm sure you all are familiar with the Vex's ability to weave in and out of the flow of time."

They all gave him a nod in response.

"With this ability, the Vex are able to view various timelines and take part in them to alter their trajectory. But their second ability stems from their goal of being able to determine the future." Osiris continued. "Try as they might, the Vex do not have the power to create the future they desire. There are so many variables that can affect the outcome of a timeline."

"Like us?" Diana asked, causing Osiris to smile.

"Certainly. Their second ability I refer to as Simulation. Just as the name implies, the Vex are capable of creating theoretical outcomes of a timeline. In doing so this allows them to see what they have to do in order to make that outcome a reality." Osiris explained.

"So then, if they know what they have to do, what's stopping them from doing whatever it is they want to do?" Carmen inquired, a bit lost with the direction of this discussion.

"Diana just said it, we're stopping them." Niko replied.

"But how? If they know what to do to beat us, why haven't they?" Carmen continued, causing Niko to look up in thought.

"Ah, and that's the beauty of it all Carmen. The Vex are unable to simulate us. Whether it's the Light within us as Guardians, or our free will as humans, the Vex cannot anticipate our actions." Osiris said to her.

"So that means we're too awesome for them." Carmen said with a grin.

"That's, one way to put it." Osiris trailed off.

"So how does all of this lead back to the Hybrids?" Diana asked, bringing them back to the main subject.

"Right, the Hybrids." Osiris stated. "So with this ability of Simulation, the Vex have been mapping out a course to their desired future. Originally, this had been part of their route to that future."

"Originally? So things changed?" Tobias asked.

"Very much so. You all may not know this, but the Vex have been fighting the Hive across the galaxy. But the Hive proved to be another opponent the Vex could not simulate. The Vex however, were able to determine that they would eventually be destroyed by the Hive. They had no way of stopping this future for themselves." Osiris pointed out, surprising the Guardians present. "But the Traveler's Light at the time, caught their attention. It was another opponent that they couldn't simulate, but this power even the Hive couldn't surmount. So the Vex began to plot a new course, following the Light of the Traveler until it reached Earth. During our Golden Age."

"So the Vex came to Earth?" Carmen asked, causing Osiris to shake his head.

"Oh no, that could've been disastrous. What happened though was the Vex became intrigued. Not just in the Traveler, but the people it bestowed its power onto. They wanted to understand us." Osiris went on. "When mankind landed on Venus during the Golden Age, they began to explore the planet extensively, and guess who was waiting there for us there."

"The Vex." Diana stated as she realized where this was going.

"Correct. And in an attempt to gain the Light from us, the Hybrids were born by the Vex. They fused themselves with the humans that had come to Venus. Half Vex, half man, whatever you want to call them. They are human." Osiris said avidly. "And they were going to be the key for the Vex to overcome the Hive and their pantheon of gods."

"So then, were the Vex trying to help us?" Niko asked.

"Not at all. The Vex recognized a greater threat in the Hive, which would bring about their destruction sooner than we would." Osiris replied.

"But we've never encountered these Hybrids on Venus. What changed that the Vex aren't using them now?" Diana pointed out as she sorted through the information Osiris was giving them.

"The people who toppled both Crota, and Oryx." Osiris said, motioning to them. "The Vex were defeated by both of them on several occasions, yet the Guardians killed both of them. The Vex were unable to simulate past their demise at the hands of the Hive. But the damage you all have done to their pantheon has now allowed the Vex to begin progressing again. Not only that, but these Hybrids possess the same qualities we have. The Vex can't simulate their actions, so there was some uncertainty about whether they would be used or not. But because of your efforts, their Hybrids lost their purpose, and the Vex Gate Lords locked them out of time."

"So they're stuck here." Carmen noted. This caused a thought to occur to Diana.

"So then, were you locked out of time as well?" Diana asked, staring at Osiris. The Hybrids had been put here by the Vex to keep them from altering the timeline. It was almost like a prison. And if Osiris was present here, that could only mean that he had been put here for a reason as well.

"My my, you figured me out so quickly Diana." Osiris said with a laugh. "But you're right. I was locked out of time by the Vex, just like the Hybrids."

"Whoa, so what did you do?" Carmen asked him, slightly impressed. What could you possibly have done to get locked out of time?

"Ah, I'd have to take you back to right after I was exiled from the Last City." Osiris said as he looked up. "And I heard the Last City was leveled by Oryx. That's unfortunate. Anyway, if you all aren't familiar with my exile I'll happily get you up to speed."

"Hold up." Niko interjected, one hand raised. "Is this going to be as long as the story about the Hybrids?"

"It's fairly lengthy." Osiris replied in a deadpan.

"Damn. And I thought that recording of you in the Reef was long winded. But god you talk a lot in person too." Niko muttered, causing both Osiris and the Titan that accompanied him to burst into a fit of laughter.

"Holy crap, I thought I was the only one thinking that." Carmen said with a sigh of relief.

"Niko." Diana whispered harshly. "That's no way to talk about a former Vanguard Commander."

"It doesn't look like he cares." Niko responded, motioning to Osiris who had just calmed down.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize I had been talking so much. The only company I have is the Hybrids and my friend here." He said, motioning to the Titan with a laugh. "The Hybrids don't talk back, so I've always done the bulk of the talking."

"I'm surprised you haven't gone crazy yet." Niko said to him with a straight face.

"Very true." Osiris said, giving him a grin as he pointed at Niko.

"So gimme a short version of why you got locked up in here." Niko stated, causing Osiris to stifle a laugh.

"What's the hurry Niko, some of us actually want to know what happened." Diana said to her teammate.

"In case you forgot, we're here trying to go back in time. Obviously meeting Osiris here might give us a new lead, but right now, to me, it seems more like we're wasting time." Niko declared, and his teammates couldn't deny that either.

They had already determined that they had gone to the future, a future that had been mangled by Titus because of their absence. If they could return to the point in time that they had left, there was a possibility that they could stop this disaster from occurring.

Osiris dropped the smile he wore at Niko's statement, placing an arm on the table as he looked around at the group.

"Your journey up until this point hasn't been a waste of time Niko. Everything happens for a reason." Osiris stated. "You seek to return to the past. How you ended up here is your means of doing so. Would you like to know how to complete your mission, or would you rather I glaze over the details and leave you to continue your blind pursuit."

Diana pursed her lips, fighting to hold back a smile at this.

"Shut down~." Diana said softly, earning a sharp glance from Niko. It wasn't often someone put him in his place, but it was always glorious to see it happen. "Osiris, please go on."

"Why thank you Diana." He said kindly, returning to his cheery expression. "So as I was saying before, I was exiled from the Last City. There are a number of reasons that led up to this decision, but the biggest one had to do with my studies of the Darkness, the Vex specifically. You could argue that I became a _little_ obsessive, and I gave them no choice but to throw me out. After I left the Last City, I decided to delve even further into my research of the Vex. I wanted to understand them, I was desperate to. I don't know what it is about them that fascinated me so much, but I had to know more."

Diana had heard rumors that Osiris' studies had gone far beyond anything any sane Guardian would do. She could only imagine what he must have done for him to be trapped in such a place with the Hybrids.

"In one of the old tales I had heard about Kabr's adventure into the Vault of Glass, it is revealed that Kabr had fashioned Vex armor to himself, which gradually assimilated with him. At first this disturbed me, but then I began to wonder. What did he see as he and the Vex became one?" Osiris admitted openly. "I had planned to do the same as Kabr, but then I thought, why not take it a step further. I challenged a Vex Gate Lord on Venus, and defeated it. And then I consumed the liquid that flows through their power cores."

"Eww!" Carmen exclaimed after imagining Osiris drinking from the abdomen of a Vex unit.

"It wasn't that bad to be honest." Osiris said to her. "Kabr did something similar in the Vault. He drank of an Oracle, and he described it as tasting like the sea. What I drank tasted more like…milk."

"That's interesting." Diana said, amazed that Osiris had gone to such lengths for his research.

"No it's not, that's sounds gross." Carmen said as she stuck out her tongue.

"So what happened?" Tobias asked, anxious to hear where this would lead.

"I was…enlightened." Osiris stated, causing the four of them to raise their eyebrows at such a statement.

"Enlightened? By the Vex?" Diana asked him incredulously.

"My mind was opened to things I didn't think were possible. Such as their Simulation ability. I would have never believed such a thing until I was able to use it myself. I began to get glimpses of the future, but gradually these unfolded into visions of events. And as I began to see these visions, I could alter something here and there, and see the outcome." Osiris explained, gesturing animatedly with his hands as he looked up. "After witnessing so many visions, I decided to act upon one of them. I went into the past using the Vex portals, and began to change things, preparation for something that I saw. But when I returned to the time I came from, several Vex Gate Lords were waiting for me. They captured me and put me here, with the Hybrids."

"So you tried to change the past." Tobias clarified.

"Yes. But that isn't the reason I was locked away. The alterations I had made to the timeline, affected what the Vex were trying to achieve. They locked me away to put a stop to that." He explained.

"What did you do then, that scared the Vex so much?" Carmen questioned him.

"A few things. For example, I picked up Cressida on my journey." Osiris said, motioning to the Titan. "Unfortunately, she was locked away with me."

"Cressida?" Niko said, furrowing his brow as he glanced at the Titan. It couldn't be.

"Take off your helmet. Everyone else did." Osiris said, motioning for her to reveal her face to the others.

Cressida remained silent as she placed her hand on the back of her neck, starting the process. Her helmet began to break down, receding to the back of her head which allowed her long brown locks to fall down to her shoulders. She was stunning to look at by everyone present, but Niko practically fell out of his seat at the sight of her.

"Are you okay Niko?" Diana asked him as he picked himself up from the floor, rubbing on his eyes. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Looking up at Cressida a second time, Niko blinked furiously, struggling to grasp what had just taken place.

It was her! The woman he loved back in Athens! She was here, standing right in front of him, and she hadn't aged a day since he had last seen her. But how?

"Is that…really you?" Niko asked her softly, taking a small step toward her. "Cressi?"

Cressida looked toward him, and their eyes met for the first time in thousands of years. And for the first in ages, Niko felt his chest become tight. His stomach was doing flips, his knees were shaking. It really was her! The love of his life.

She didn't bother to answer though, choosing to rise from her seat and embrace him in a hug. She had been waiting so long to do this, watching him closely from the moment he entered Aaru. Niko stared at her dumbfound as she buried her face in his chest. She was tall for a woman, but Niko's immense height still put a great deal of separation between them, but it was just like she had remembered.

"Yes you idiot, it's me." She stated, looking up at him.

"But…how?" Niko exclaimed, but rather than respond she took him by the hand and led him toward the exit of the room.

"What just happened?" Carmen asked as she looked around at the others, confusion written all over her face.

"They were a couple in their former lives." Osiris pointed out, leaving all three of the members of Undaunted in shock.

"Niko? In a relationship?!" Diana said incredulously. In all of the years she had known Niko, she never would've imagined him being able to settle down into one relationship. He never struck her as that kind of person. But perhaps she didn't know everything about her teammate like she thought she did.

"It's not as crazy as it sounds." Tobias stated he watched Niko and Cressida leave the room. The look he saw in Niko's eyes when he first caught sight of Cressida just moments ago, Tobias had no doubts that Niko had very strong feelings for that woman.

"But what are the odds of both of them being reborn as Guardians, and meeting each other again?" Diana asked curiously as he looked toward Osiris. The old Warlock smiled at her.

"You would call something like that a miracle." He replied before clearing his throat to get Carmen and Tobias' attention as well. "Now let's get down to business. You all want to go home. I know how to get your there."

"How?" Carmen asked him.

"I was a time traveler, for a little while anyway. I can open a pathway through the flow of time, back to your present.'" Osiris revealed to them. "But you're in for a fight if you plan on committing to this."

Carmen, Diana and Tobias all shared a quickly glance.

"Well in Niko's absence, I'll go ahead and say it." Tobias said with a smirk. "Kicking ass is what we do best. So if anything, be worried for whoever is going to fight _us_."

"Hmm, well said." Osiris noted with a nod of approval. "The Conflux you used to enter Aaru, return to it and open it once again."

"What good will that do? My Ghost said that it could use that Conflux to enter this place. How will that get us back to the past?" Diana inquired.

"This is merely a portion of what we will have to do. There's a closed portal in Aaru, only used by the Qodron, the Gate Lord that watches over Aaru. What I intend to do is force him to come in here by interfering with the Conflux once your Ghost opens it. This will give you all an opportunity to kill Qodron, and doing so will allow us to use the portal that it has kept locked." Osiris explained. "From there I can create a direct pathway back to where you came from."

* * *

Niko was…stupefied to say the least.

Cressida, the woman he adored, was now standing beside him. And he didn't even really know what to say to her. He had a myriad of questions for her.

How did she get here? When did she become a Guardian? Where was she raised? Why was she a Titan of all things? What had she been doing all this time? What battles she fought in? How she met Osiris? The questions went on and on, but Niko didn't have much of a chance to speak to her.

After they had left the group back in the temple, Cressida embraced him once again, and they shared a kiss. Niko hadn't said a word since that, still trying to gather himself. It was like fireworks had gone off in his head, leaving him dazed and confused.

He couldn't even make much sense of what was happening at the moment.

The group of six was standing in the plaza, around the Conflux that they had used to enter Aaru. The small structure had begun to glow after Diana's Ghost had placed the Eye of Zydron in it, and then Osiris began to tamper with it. Niko however couldn't really hear what they were saying, still in a daze. But after a few moments, the Conflux twinkled and something took place that forced Niko to focus.

The sky became red.

Everyone looked up, Niko included, watching as hundreds if not thousands of hexagons formed over the sky.

"Here it comes." Osiris said as he pointed toward the southern tip of Aaru. He was pointing at the enormous Vex gate that was stationed at the top of a tall stone stairway. This time however, the gate had turned blue, opening up for Qodron's body parts to come through. Its various limbs all hung in the air, quickly interlocking together to form Qodron's entire body as the Gate Lord dropped down to its feet, giving off a roar of disapproval. This seemed to cause the entire city to quake as the Gate Lord took a few steps, scanning the city for its target. "Boy, he does not sound happy to be here this time."

"Master, let's go." Cressida suggested.

"Right. He'll be looking for me, once he comes down here, you all have to get his attention quick." Osiris said, motioning to the four Guardians. "If you need us, we'll be hiding."

"Are you serious?" Carmen exclaimed. "I thought you were like some legendary Warlock or something?"

"I don't have any power here." Osiris replied. "The Vex stripped me of all my powers when they imprisoned me here. And the same goes for Cressida as well."

"Alright then, let's get this done!" Niko barked, getting the attention of his teammates. Qodron had kept Cressida locked up here for who knows how long. Niko wouldn't let such a thing get past him. This Vex Gate Lord would be nothing but scrap metal once he was done with it.

"Well look whose back." Diana noted with a grin.

"Just follow my lead. We'll be done with this guy in no time." Niko stated as he jumped to a nearby roof, calling for his teammates follow him. Qodron had begun to teleport, first to the base of the stairway, and then into the city using one of the main streets. He was heading straight for them! "Let's throw him a welcome party!"

Receiving his hand cannon from his Ghost, Niko began to fire away at Qodron, the bullets ricocheting off its protective armor. But this was more than enough to gain its attention. Fixating its gaze on the four Guardians, one of Qodron's hands morphed into a Vex Torch Hammer. Within the chamber of this weapon was a purple glow that grew in size before it Qodron began to fire at the Guardians. The four of the scattered immediately, escaping being caught in the blast. The firepower that Qodron was packing destroyed the building they had been standing on with just one blast. Getting hit by that wouldn't end well.

"Come on guys, let's put some bullets in his ass!" Niko declared as he landed a different roof top by himself, raising his weapon to unload another clip into Qodron.

"I'm with you on that!" Carmen added as she landed beside Niko, whipping out her Ace of Spades to join him. But their bullets continued to bounce off of the Qodron's armor.

"I don't know guys, it feels like we're not doing anything to it." Tobias pointed out, positioned on a different rooftop further down the block. He had already dumped a magazine from his Tlaloc into Qodron, but even though he focused on shooting one spot, he didn't even put a dent in its armor.

"Cressida is trying to contact us. I'm adding her to our channel." Diana's Ghost stated suddenly. As soon as this process was completed, Cressida began speaking with no hesitation.

"Just shooting Qodron isn't going to work. You have to expose his power core if you plan to defeat him. Focus fire that small area between its hips and chest plate!" Cressida pointed out to them.

"You heard her, let's get to work!" Niko called out as he quickly adjusted his sights, beginning to wail on the area Cressida had pointed out to them.

"Allow me guys." Diana shouted, gaining their attention. Upon hearing Cressida's suggestion, Diana got some distance from Qodron as she received her Gjallarhorn from her Ghost. Now as she finished loading the weapon on one knee, Diana took aim at the target area on Qodron and fired away.

Her teammates watched as the rocket came crashing into Qodron, enveloping the Gate Lord in a cloud of white smoke after it detonated. All of them could hear a shriek from Qodron, something it hadn't done despite how many times they had shot at it before. As the smoke cleared away, they could see that the raw power from Gjallarhorn had done the trick. The white power core at the center of Qodron's body had been exposed for them to shoot at it.

"Let's finish him off!" Niko shouted.

"No! Don't get any closer to him!" Cressida screamed as Qodron looked toward the pair of Hunter's approaching it. Its yellow eye flashed, and the two of them became frozen in a dome of red and white pixels.

"What the!?" Carmen exclaimed, unable to move any of her limbs.

"What's going on?!" Niko asked as he could only look up at the Gate Lord that towered over them. Qodron raised its Torch Hammer, the weapon beginning to glow in preparation to destroy the two Hunters.

But just as Qodron fired, Tobias dropped down in front of the duo, throwing out both his arms to shield them with a Ward of Dawn. The blast destroyed the entire building around them, leaving the small section of the roof they had been standing on to collapse down to the ground. The three of them fell down into the remains of the building, becoming concealed in the dust and debris.

"Diana quick, get Qodron's attention and then take cover!" Cressida shouted at her.

"You've got it." Diana said as she fired the second rocket in her Gjallarhorn. Taking a second hit from Gjallarhorn, Qodron stumbled a bit from the sheer force of the explosion before looking in the direction that the projectile had come from. But Diana had already jumped back down to the streets below.

"Is everyone alright?" Tobias asked as Carmen groaned, rubbing her side that she had landed on.

"Yeah, but what was that thing that froze us?" Niko asked.

"It's called Detainment. If Qodron looks at you, it'll essentially just pause time for you. The only way to break out it is for someone else to cause him to break line of sight with you." Cressida explained. "So keep your distance from him, and don't group up."

"Let's get out of here then." Carmen said, getting a nod from her teammates as the three of them scattered from the remains of the building they had previously been standing on. Separating themselves as they ran out into the streets of the city, each of them continued to glance at their radars to keep track of each other's location, ensuring that they didn't get to close to one another.

"So what's the plan here? Even with the power core exposed, Gjallarhorn wasn't enough to take that Gate Lord down." Diana pointed out to them.

"The blast radius is too big on Gjallarhorn. We need something that can focus specifically on the power core." Niko replied.

"If only we had Gale and his Sleeper Simulant. That would knock this thing out just like Oryx." Carmen said, thinking about her teammate.

"We still have the next best thing." Niko said with a grin as his helmet switched to the Celestial Nighthawk. "One shot from a Golden Gun should put him down for good. But just in case Carmen, you should be ready for a follow up shot."

"Right." Carmen said before as she dipped into an alleyway, but her attention was drawn to the air above her. A dark cloud had formed over the buildings, followed by a flash of blue light from with them. Vex units began to drop down, occupying the roof tops as the Guardians began to search for cover.

"Figures, none of the bad guys ever want to fight by themselves." Diana's Ghost muttered as Diana slipped into the back of one a small home, switching out her Gjallarhorn for a fusion rifle. Taking cover beneath a window, Diana began to load in a fresh magazine into her weapon, but her body became tense until she found herself completely frozen.

"Guys, I'm frozen!" Diana exclaimed.

"But how, Qodron is over here with me." Niko pointed out as he peaked out of the alley he was hiding in. The Vex Gate Lord was standing in the main street several yards from him, looking around as the Vex units it had summoned were searching the small streets for the Guardians.

"Qodron has multiple Eyes on the battlefield that are looking for you too." Cressida declared. "These Eyes are like special Vex that possess the same ability he has to Detain you. You gotta take out of the Eye before Qodron gets to her!"

"Are these Eyes like, silver Vex?" Carmen asked as she peeked around the corner of the alleyway she was in. The small Hunter was close to Diana, and on a nearby rooftop she could see a silver Vex unit staring down into one of the buildings.

"Yes, did you spot one of them?"

"Yeah, I got sights on it." Carmen replied as she took aim with her Ace of Spades. Firing just once, the head of the silver Vex exploded, and Diana gave a sigh of relief as she regained her mobility.

"Thanks Carmen!" Diana called out.

"I gotchu!" Carmen replied.

"I don't like this though. We're playing cat and mouse with a Vex Gate Lord." Tobias said, getting a nod of agreement from his teammates. They had no choice but to hide at the moment for fear of being captured in a Detain bubble and they hunted down by Qodron and the Vex.

"We have to go for the kill together or else we'll just keep running circles around this place." Niko declared.

"Do you have any ideas?" Tobias asked him.

"Yeah, but you all aren't going to like it." Niko responded.

"We'll see about that. Go ahead." Diana said to him.

"Okay, so Tobias is going to put down a Ward of Dawn out in the open for him and Carmen to get everyone's attention. With all of the Vex distracted with the two of them, Diana and I will move into focus fire the power core." Niko explained to them.

"That sounds pretty risky." Tobias noted.

"Yeah, and the chance of that working out is pretty slim. All of us will be exposed for something like this to work." Diana reasoned with him. "So let's take this a step further then."

"For real?!" Tobias exclaimed. Diana nodded at this, although this went unseen by Tobias.

"Yup. Let's put all three of you in Tobias' Ward of Dawn to get their attention. With you all in the middle of things, I'll pick off the Eyes on the rooftops, and then I'll hit Qodron with a rocket from Gjallarhorn." Diana explained.

"But you already said it isn't enough to take him down." Carmen pointed out to her.

"True, but it's strong enough to stagger him. If I take out all of the Eyes, and can force him to break line of sight with you guys for even a second, Carmen and Niko should be able to take him out." Diana went on, getting nods of agreement from her Hunter teammates.

"Even riskier, I like it Diana!" Carmen declared.

"And don't worry Diana, we'll come through. You just do your part." Niko said to her. Diana nodded to herself at this as she took a deep breath.

"Just give me two minutes to get into position. I tell you guys when you can go for it." Diana said as the all began to move now. While Niko, Carmen and Tobias grouped up in a small building close to Qodron, Diana left the area that the Vex were patrolling, getting onto a rooftop with a sniper where she had a clear view of all of the Eyes were that were located on the rooftops. "Alright guys, you can move in now."

"Alright Tobias, just do what you did last time." Niko said to him as he and Carmen jumped out onto the rooftop, taking a few pot shots at Qodron which gained the attention of all of the surrounding Vex. The Gate Lord spun around, its eye spinning as it stared straight at the two Hunters.

Once again a dome of red and white was dropped over them as they became frozen in place. Qodron approached them as numerous Vex Goblins teleported to the roof they were standing on, raising their weapons to gun down the two of them. Qodron also raised its weapon in a similar fashion, ready to finish off half of the Guardians present.

"I'm with you!" Tobias declared as he Blinked into the air over the two Hunters, releasing a small blast of Void Light to propel him to the rooftop where he placed a Ward of Dawn over the group once again. This protected the group as the Vex opened fire. Even with the Detain active though, Tobias was able to maintain a Ward of Dawn under the heavy fire from the Vex. "Alright Diana, whenever you're ready!"

"I'm working on it!" Diana replied as she stared down the scope of her sniper rifle, picking off one Eye after another. Picking off seven of them total, Diana surveyed the field once again in search of anymore. She couldn't spot any more through her sights, and there was no way to be certain if she had gotten them all. But they only had so much time on their side. "Okay, get ready guys. I'm about to fire Gjallarhorn again."

"We're ready and waiting." Niko replied.

Raising her rocket launcher, Diana stared down the sights to lock onto Qodron, but rather than looking at the Vex Gate Lord in her sights in her sights, she found herself looking at the silver frame of a Vex Goblin.

"Crap! One of the Eyes is over here!" Diana shouted as her body became frozen. One of the Eyes must have spotted her prior to her starting this task and left the battlefield, waiting to trap her. The Eye raised the weapon on its arm, taking aim at Diana's head. Staring into the barrel of the weapon, Diana felt her chest become tight as it began to glow red, getting ready to blast her brain to bits.

"Hyah!" A female voice shouted as a leg was dropped down on the head the Eye in front of Diana, throwing the whole unit to the ground. Diana looked up in shock to see Cressida standing in front of her, standing proudly as her savior.

"Oh my god, your timing couldn't be any better." Diana exclaimed as she began to move once again, thankful for Cressida's sudden appearance.

"What happened?" Niko asked as Diana took aim with her Gjallarhorn once again.

"You're girlfriend just saved my ass. I like her already." Diana stated, causing Cressida to don a large smile. Diana then fired her large weapon, watching as the rocket raced toward Qodron.

"That's my girl!" Niko shouted in return as Qodron was hit. And just as Diana had said, the power from the explosion staggered Qodron, sending it stumbling to its side. In that instant, Carmen and Niko acted with their motion restored. Jumping out of the Ward of Dawn, both of them raised their hand cannons into the air, empowering it with Solar Light. The two of them took aim, and fired, unleashing a stream of orange flames that pierced right through Qodron's power core.

The Gate Lord groaned as the white liquid with its core burst out of it through the sizable openings that had been punched through it. The light in Qodron's singular eye darkened, and its body collapsed onto several buildings, destroying them as it kicked up a large cloud of dust. Niko and Carmen gave an audible whoop as they landed back inside of Tobias' Ward of Dawn, impressed that everything that gone according to plan. The hexagons that had covered the skies shattered, causing the sky to return to its golden color as sunlight broke through once again.

"Now we just have to clean up the place." Tobias said as he looked around at the Vex that surrounded them.

"That won't be necessary." Cressida stated, and right on cue, the Hybrids landed on the rooftops as well, beginning to combat the Vex. In just a few minutes the Hybrids had savagely torn apart the Vex units that had been summoned by Qodron, leaving nothing but metal limbs and scrap in their wake.

"Pack your bags guys, we're going home!" Carmen declared.

* * *

The group met with Osiris at the top of the stairway that led to the portal Qodron had used. Qodron was very large, but the portal was absolutely gigantic, the biggest one any of them had ever seen. Even bigger than the portal Diana had seen Zydron use on Venus.

"So that was it? We're good to go?" Tobias asked Osiris as he stepped toward the portal. There was a small Conflux embedded the pillar that framed the portal. Osiris placed his hand on the Conflux, and it began to glow, causing the portal to open up once again.

"Yup, you all did it." Osiris said, turning to the group to give them a smile.

"Alright! We're going home!" Carmen shouted as she gave Niko a high five.

"And I also have a bit of news for you." Cressida said, causing them to quiet down. "I'll be coming with you guys."

"What, for real?" Carmen and Diana exclaimed together.

"Yes, I'd like to join your fireteam. Especially if it means spending more time with Niko here." Cressida said as she glanced at the tall man standing beside her.

"We would've been spending time together regardless." Niko replied with a grin.

"Is it okay for her to come with us?" Tobias asked Osiris, who gave him a nod in return.

"Whether she'll have any effect on the timeline has yet to be determined, but I'm sure you all will find a way to overcome whatever stands in your path." Osiris said, getting a nod from the Guardians. It was what they did best after all. That and, kick ass.

"So we're in agreement, that Cressida is officially part of fireteam Undaunted?" Niko asked as he looked around at his teammates.

"Well, I'm not going to stand between Niko and his woman." Tobias said, getting a laugh from Diana and Carmen.

"Yeah, I'm all for it." Diana said, giving Cressida a thumbs up.

"As long as you don't hog the action, you won't hear any complaints from me." Carmen added. And just like that, they had a new teammate.

"Okay then, let's get moving people. We're burning daylight again." Niko said as he stepped toward the portal. "We're good to go Osiris?"

"Yes indeed. Step through and you all should be placed at the Endless Steps on Venus in your present." Osiris stated, getting a nod from the Hunter before he stepped through, followed by Carmen.

Cressida however approached Osiris, and bowed to him graciously.

"I can't thank you enough for doing this." She said to him before giving him a wave. Then she stepped through the portal as well, leaving just Diana and Tobias.

"So what are you going to do from here?" Diana asked Osiris

"I haven't decided just yet, but I have the funny feeling we'll be meeting in again in the near future. Ask me then." He replied, giving her a cheery smile. Diana raised her eyebrows at this, deciding that it might be best not to press any further into his business. Especially with his mention of them having a reunion in the future.

Diana gave him a wave, and stepped through the portal. And now only Tobias remained.

"I'll bet there was a lot you want to ask me, right Tobias?" Osiris asked him as he stepped toward Tobias.

"Yeah, there was actually. I know that you and I worked together before I lost my memory. I had questions for you, but right now they have to wait." Tobias said, recalling what Eva had shared with them back on Venus. Titus was responsible for the future they had witnessed. And now the top priority was to make sure that this future didn't become a reality for anyone. "Besides, you said we would meet again."

"Yup. In your future there will be a time when you'll want to come looking for me again. Just return to Aaru…" He said, raising his arms to motion to the city below them. "…and I'll be here waiting for you."

Osiris extended a hand toward Tobias and they shook hands. Tobias then gave him a two fingered wave before looking toward the portal.

As he raised his leg to step through though, he felt something for the first time since he entered Aaru. A presence. Seven of them in fact. All of them located at the very edge of the city. Tobias looked back for a moment, uncertain of what he had detected. But then he shook his head and stepped through the portal.

Osiris raised a hand to the Conflux, closing the portal now that Undaunted had gone through. Then he drew in a deep breath, causing his clothing to change. Staring at his shoulders, a long black and gold robe that was decorated with rhinestones formed over his torso. A pair of black slacks with golden knee pads formed over his legs and they were tucked into a pair of high boots. Osiris then looked across the city to his temple, feeling his power begin to bubble forth, then he Blinked.

Landing at the top of the stairway that led into his abode, Osiris smiled at how great it felt to do that again. He had been forced to walk everywhere in this city with his power, but now he could return to the days of using Blink as his only form of transportation. Sensing a presence beside him, Osiris turned and grinned at the familiar as it formed. Streams of blue data began to circle together, building itself into the form of a female Exo who raised her hood over her head once her form had been completed.

"It has been quite some time since we spoke face to face." She stated, kneeling before him.

"You have no idea how long I waited for this." Osiris replied before turning around to look at the city. Seven dark figures dropped down behind him, much to his delight. All of them were kneeling down along with the Exo.

"Master, it has been far too long." One of them stated.

"We've been waiting anxiously for this day."

"I know. I have as well." Osiris replied.

"My lord, I've been waiting to ask you this. But why did you cement us to this timeline?" One of the larger shadowy figures asked.

"Thanks to the efforts of our friend here," Osiris began, motioning to the Exo. "This timeline had been prepared to free me from the prison the Vex put me in. Now that we have both Titus and Tobias in one timeline, our preparations are complete. The reign of the Nine will begin as scheduled."

* * *

A/N

So this was a deep chapter, for me at least. As I've said before, the Vex always struck me as the most fascinating enemy race in Destiny, so writing this chapter was a ton of fun for me. Of course there's a huge plot point right above this author's note that I want to discuss briefly.

Before Destiny 2 had even been announced I had assumed Osiris was involved with the Nine, or possibly leading them. Then when they announced Trials of Osiris had become Trials of the Nine that solidified my theory at least. Unfortunately, the base game of Destiny 2 did not address anything about Osiris. I was hoping to learn a bit more about his purpose before this chapter, but it looks like I'd have to wait for the first expansion which is focusing on Osiris. So I'm taking my leap of faith and following my assumptions about him. Obviously some things are subject to change as I keep working, but we'll see where Bungie decides to go.

This is the last chapter that I had prepared in advance, so we're officially all caught up to what I have written. I have absolutely no idea when I will update this again, but I'll try to make sure I don't keep you guys hanging for too long.

Thanks again for reading, and have a good one!


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